Research that matters
Over the past 80 years, the University of Worcester has built a strong tradition of research that changes lives. From pioneering work in dementia care and public health to advances in environmental sustainability and social inclusion, these stories highlight some of the research that continues to make a difference.
Ground-breaking work on meeting centres for people impacted by dementia
The University of Worcester established the Association for Dementia Studies (ADS) in 2009, recognising that while a cure for dementia may be some way off, there was an urgent need to help people live better with the condition today.
Since then, the ADS has become the national leader in applied dementia research, with one of its biggest contributions being the evidence base for Meeting Centres, a community-based model of support that has transformed dementia care across Worcestershire and beyond.
Backed by £540,000 from Worcestershire County Council, the region’s Meeting Centres were created in ordinary community buildings to provide warm, expert, and ongoing support for people with mild to moderate dementia and their families.
Subsequent research by the ADS has shown that for every £1 invested in running a Meeting Centre, up to £3 of social value can be generated, largely due to reduced reliance on primary and emergency care.
Hearing marginalised voices
Dr Peter Unwin, Principal Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Worcester, has led a significant programme of research centred on ensuring marginalised voices get heard.
Dr Unwin led a major investigation into why so few disabled people become foster carers in the UK, identifying the systemic barriers preventing disabled applicants from entering the fostering system.
In partnership with the NHS Race and Health Observatory, Dr Unwin also led groundbreaking research into the mental health challenges faced by Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities. This work resulted in the creation of a series of suicide-prevention films, designed to support communities where suicide rates are estimated to be up to seven times higher than in the general population.
Using insects as a natural means to regulate pests
Dr Alice Mockford carried out pioneering research examining how insects can be used as a natural alternative to chemical pest control in food production.
As part of her PhD, she studied Spanish orange orchards to understand how biodiversity can support more sustainable farming.
Her studentship, funded jointly by the University of Worcester, Waitrose & Partners, and Primafruit Ltd, demonstrated that leaving wildflower strips in orchards uncut significantly increases the number of beneficial insects that attack pests damaging the fruit.
This approach offers strong potential for protecting crops naturally at key moments in the growing season. By contrast, cutting the wildflower strips was shown to reduce these valuable natural enemies.
Building on this research, the University of Worcester has launched a new experiment to test whether wildflower strips could have a similar positive impact in vineyards, further advancing sustainable pest‑management practices.
Strengthening crop defences against plant diseases
Professor Mahmut Tor leads the University of Worcester’s Molecular Plant and Microbial Biosciences Research Unit, where a major research programme is investigating how plants interact with destructive pathogens such as downy mildew; a disease that can kill crops outright or significantly reduce their yield.
The programme focuses on understanding these interactions at the microbial level, examining how plants naturally defend themselves against infection. By uncovering the biological processes involved, the research aims to identify ways of enhancing or supporting these natural defence mechanisms, helping crops resist disease more effectively.
The programme has the potential to improve food security through increasing crop productivity whilst also reducing the use of harmful pesticides.
Violence prevention
In 2025, the University of Worcester marked 20 years of groundbreaking work in tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence through education, research, and advocacy.
Over two decades, the University has established itself as a national leader in preventing violence and supporting those affected by it.
The University is home to the Trauma and Violence Prevention Research Group, whose work spans the experiences of victims and survivors, bystanders, perpetrators, practitioners, policy‑makers, and fellow researchers.
The group’s research aims to deepen understanding of violence and its impacts while informing real‑world interventions and professional practice.
Completed projects include evaluating programmes for domestic abuse perpetrators, exploring public attitudes towards sexual violence, and examining police decision‑making around domestic abuse, particularly in relation to risk assessment and coercive control.
Rural mental health
Backed by more than £2.2 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the University of has recently established the Rural Mental Health Research Unit, a major new initiative dedicated to tackling mental health inequalities in rural communities.
The five‑year programme will investigate the unique risks facing people living in rural areas, from isolation and stigma to barriers in accessing support, and develop new approaches to preventing mental health difficulties. A key focus of the research is identifying the early signs of serious mental illness, ensuring people can receive timely help before reaching crisis point.
Designed to reflect the day‑to‑day realities of rural life, the research will deepen understanding of how rurality itself can heighten mental‑health risks.
Heat mitigation in women
Researchers at Worcester are currently undertaking an important new study exploring how heat impacts females, an area that has been significantly under-researched to date.
The project is led by Dr Jessica Mee, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science, who has secured almost £1m through a prestigious UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship to drive the work forward.
While much of what we know about heat stress has been based on studies conducted almost exclusively with male participants, far less is understood about how the female body responds to extreme heat.
This gap in knowledge poses real challenges, particularly as heatwaves become more frequent.
Dr Mee’s research aims to change that. The study will develop evidence-based guidelines to help protect women during extreme heat events, improving safety, health and performance in hot conditions. It’s also hoped the work will lead to further research info the way female bodies respond to heat.
Responses to earthquakes in Nepal
University of Worcester PhD researcher Beas Banerjee is using drone technology to map earthquake‑prone regions of Nepal, helping to identify the areas and communities most at risk when future quakes occur.
Alongside the drone mapping, the study includes household surveys to assess how vulnerable homes and residents might be in the event of a major earthquake. The aim is to give authorities clear, evidence‑based insight into which places are likely to need urgent support first, enabling faster, more effective disaster response.
During one research trip, Beas experienced the reality of her work firsthand: while running a workshop on earthquake preparedness, the ground began to shake. Although that quake was relatively minor, a month later Nepal was struck by another, far more severe earthquake that killed 150 people and injured many more.
The experience underscored the critical importance of improving earthquake resilience in one of the world’s most disaster‑prone countries while highlighting the value of research designed to keep vulnerable communities safer.
Predicting cardiac risk
Members of the Biomedical Research Group, in collaboration with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, have discovered a new way of identifying cardiac patients at risk of a second heart attack, and the type of heart attack that might be.
The research looked at biomarkers in the blood of patients presenting with an Acute Coronary Syndrome event and found that the biomarkers predicted future heart attacks.
The research can potentially improve the ongoing care for these patients and lead to better outcomes.
The experiences of young people with disabilities
Researchers in the University of Worcester’s Social Pedagogy Research Group, led by Dr Carla Solvason and Dr Alison Prowle, are working in partnership with Blaenau Gwent Disability Services on a major five‑year longitudinal study exploring how support for children and young people with disabilities evolves over time.
The research is following four cohorts of young people, aged 14, 17, 20 and 23 at the outset, with data collected at regular intervals throughout the study.
This long‑term approach will allow the team to build a rich, detailed picture of each young person’s experiences as they move through key life stages, from adolescence into adulthood.
The project aims to create a picture of the child’s support experience across their transition from teenager to adult and provide recommendations for the future development of the service. The project also has the potential to feed into disability services everywhere in the UK.
Natural flood management
Researchers in the University’s Sustainable Environmental Research Group, are carrying out a research and consultancy programme focussed on natural flood management.
Working with colleagues at Cardiff University, Professor Maddock identified that river barriers similar to those built by beavers, can help protect communities at risk of flooding.
These ‘leaky’ dams, made from trees, branches, logs, and leaves, were monitored over a two-year period.
The research found that the barriers deliberately increased water levels upstream to slow river flow and provided benefits to the river and nearby farmland.
AI and the needs of elderly people
Dr Sajad Rezaei has led a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council to explore how AI-powered knowledge management systems (AI-KMS) can enhance productivity, planning and strategic decisions among leadership teams of care homes and home care businesses in England.
The project team have gathered new data to investigate the leadership teams approach productivity challenges, and has proposed and empirically tested an AI KMS model, incorporating personalised and tailored care services to the unique needs of elderly people.
Improving the lives of people with chronic kidney disease
Derek Kyte, Professor of Physiotherapy, has led the development of a new questionnaire designed to help people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) report their symptoms more easily and effectively.
Developed with support from a Kidney Research UK–Stoneygate research project grant, the tool aims to improve how patients communicate changes in their symptoms and, in turn, support more responsive and personalised care.
Current symptom monitoring often requires patients to complete multiple lengthy questionnaires, which can reduce completion rates and fail to capture the symptoms most important to those living with CKD. To address this, Professor Kyte and colleagues across the UK and EU reviewed data from almost 200,000 patients and used this evidence to create the Kidney Symptom Burden Questionnaire (KSB‑Q) — a shorter, nine‑item questionnaire tested with more than 400 people across all stages of CKD, including those on dialysis and transplant recipients.
Exploring how motherhood draws women into politics
Dr Anna Muggeridge has been awarded over £500,000 from UK Research and Innovation’s Future Leaders Fellowship programme to investigate how women have been drawn into politics and activism through motherhood.
Her project, ‘Voices of Motherhood’, examines how experiences of fertility, pregnancy, birth and early childcare have politicised women from the First World War to the present day.
The study will use case studies from across the UK, drawing on historical records and collecting new oral histories covering the last 60 years. Dr Muggeridge will also work with the George Marshall Medical Museum in Worcester as part of the research.
Improving lives for farmers living with arthritis
With a £267,000 award from the Nuffield Foundation and Arthritis UK, the University is researching the challenges faced by farmers living with arthritis.
Although the condition is likely common among farmers, there has been little UK research into its impact on those working in agriculture.
Led by Professor Nick Evans, the study is examining what discourages farmers from prioritising their health and aims to promote arthritis as both manageable and preventable within farming communities.
To reach farmers directly, the research team will carry out outreach at agricultural shows and markets to build relationships before visiting farms. The goal is to learn first-hand from farmers about their day-to-day practices and experiences.
Safety of runners
A study into the safety of runners has already identified incidents of runners being shouted at from cars, chased by dogs, and even having items thrown at them while out running.
The Running Free, Running Safe survey heard from more than 100 people, and found more than half of them reported experiencing harassment and abuse while out running. The vast majority of those were females.
The research is currently being undertaken with colleagues from West Mercia Police, Worcestershire County Council and other academic staff from both Worcester and Birmingham City universities.
The study has moved on to hearing the voices of people who will share their experiences of harassment or abuse to help build a clear picture of what could improve the situation.