The Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine is an internationally recognised centre for research and teaching and a part of Queen Mary’s medical faculty, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. The Institute identifies the causes and methods of prevention of health conditions that lead to poor quality of life and premature death. These include cancer, cardiovascular disease, congenital malformations, psychiatric illnesses, neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s, Dementia, and Multiple Sclerosis, and diseases caused by lifestyle factors such as tobacco use and diet.

Our research provides the evidence base for a diverse range of public health strategies which have effected great change. It was at the Wolfson Institute that the original antenatal triple test for Trisomy 21 was conceived. Our Department of Health-commissioned report on the effects of passive smoking led to legislation banning smoking in public places. Wolfson Institute researchers drafted the UK Government’s Childhood Obesity Strategy, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Position Statement on Racism and Mental Health.