About Us
History of Public Health at University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow’s Public Health came into being in 1923 when
Sir Henry Mechan endowed the Henry Mechan Chair of Public Health. The chair has since been held by nine professors with the present incumbent, Professor Jill Pell, being appointed in 2007. The department moved to its present premises in Lilybank Gardens in 1985 and staff are widely involved in teaching and research throughout Glasgow, the West of Scotland and beyond.
The Public Health research group is part of the School of Health and Wellbeing which was formed in 2011 as part of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences.
The department is highly active, with research comprising epidemiological studies, health services research, statistics and social sciences and public health intervention studies into diseases and modifiable risk factors of high public health importance. We currently host the Scottish Veterans Health Research Group and have hosted the Midspan Studies, several large occupational and general population cohort studies based in Scotland, as well as the West of Scotland Cancer Surveillance Unit (WoSCSU).
The department also contributes to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical teaching and runs the Master of Public Health course. Since 1923 over 1200 postgraduate students have received further degrees in public health and many are now prominent in public health in the UK and throughout the world. They include:
Mr Grant Archibald, Director of Emergency Care and Medical Services - NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, MPH 2001/2002
Professor Sir Harry Burns, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, MPH 1990/199
Mr Tim Davison, Chief Executive - NHS Lothian, MPH 1997/1998
Dr Andrew Fraser, Director of Public Health Sciences - NHS Health Scotland, MPH 1989/1990
Professor Laurence Gruer OBE, Past Director of Public Health Sciences - NHS Health Scotland, MPH 1986/1987
Dr Harpreet Kohli, Director of Public Health - NHS Lanarkshire, MPH 1986/1987
Professor Carol Tannahill, Director of Glasgow Centre for Population Health, PhD 1989