The Centre for Equity in Mental Health (CEMH)
About us
The CEMH, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Mental Health Research Group (MHRG) at the University of Huddersfield is a really exciting new venture, with £11M of funding over five years.
Through the NIHR MHRG programme, the NIHR serves to improve mental health research capacity and capability in geographical areas where many people are not receiving the mental health support they need and where there is little mental health research. This is to support locally developed solutions, which can be scalable nationally and internationally, for key mental health challenges.
The CEMH will focus on tackling mental health inequalities across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield and will involve a wide range of partners including from health and care, the voluntary and community sector, local authorities, businesses and others. There will be a strong focus on co-production with our communities.
The Centre's work will span innovative programmes of research, developing research talent and embedding best evidence into policy and practice, locally, nationally and internationally.
The Centre's research spans a wide range of topics, including novel psycho-social interventions, care pathways, health systems strengthening, outcome measurement, intersectionality, 'big data', artificial intelligence, digital literacy, wearables/bio-sensors, health economics, biological contributors to mental health, creative health and more!
The research activities will be accompanied by a comprehensive programme of research capacity and capability building, including training (including of community researchers), postgraduate research studentships and internships.
There will be a strong focus on mobilising knowledge and delivering impact.
Our Goal
We want to transform mental health research in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield!
CEMH Mission, Vision and Values
Our mission is to conduct innovative, community-based and applied research that reduces mental health inequalities by focusing on prevention of mental health problems, addressing barriers to mental health care access and informing policy and practice.
Our vision is for Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield (CKW) to have equitable access to high-quality mental health services for all.
Our Six Core Values
1. Equity & Inclusion - Centring the voices of marginalised communities and tackling systemic barriers to mental health care.
2. Collaboration & Co-production - Partnering with people with lived experience, communities, and practitioners to shape research that matters.
3. Innovation & Impact - Creating practical, scalable solutions that influence mental health policy and improve access to care.
4. Ethical Integrity & Respect - Upholding the highest standards of ethics, transparency, and respect in all we do.
5. Accessibility & Knowledge Sharing - Making research clear, actionable, and relevant to those who need it most.
6. Reflexivity & Accountability - Committing to continuous learning, reflection, and responsiveness to our communities.
Our Main Aims
1. Develop and lead innovative, applied research that is rooted in the lived experiences of local communities in CKW that reduces mental health inequalities.
2. Build on existing research and focus on early intervention and preventative approaches that reduce the risk and onset of mental health problems.
3. Increase research capacity and capability within CKW that supports all stakeholders to engage with innovative research and development.
4. Identify and challenge systemic barriers that contribute to mental health disparities, particularly for underserved, marginalised and disadvantaged populations.
5. Generate robust evidence that informs and shapes policy, service design and delivery at both local and national levels.
6. Conduct sustainable research that identifies and evaluates strategies and solutions that increase accessibility, acceptability, and responsiveness of mental health services in CKW.
Research Themes
Learn about the Work Packages and Cross-cutting themes that our Centre covers
Meet the Team
Find out about the academics who lead the Equity in Mental Health Research Centre
Training and Resources
Learn more about the Training and Resources we offer as a Centre
Study with us
Information about CEMH internships, research Masters and PhD opportunities.
Contact us
Programme Manager:
Emma Doggett: e.doggett@hud.ac.uk
Centre Directors:
Director: Prof Michael Doyle m.doyle2@hud.ac.uk
Co-Director: Prof Ann Caress a.caress@hud.ac.uk