About us

The College of Biomedical and Life Sciences is a vibrant academic community, which undertakes innovative research and provides state-of-the-art learning facilities.

An integrated approach is taken to all aspects of health and bioscientific research, achieving internationally respected results at all stages of the medical research process, from laboratory science through to improved medical and healthcare practices. It is the largest College in the University with over 2000 staff and 7000 students.

The College brings together seven schools with immense strength in research and teaching, not just in Wales, but the UK and worldwide.

Our Academic Schools include:

• Biosciences
• Dentistry
• Healthcare Sciences
• Medicine
• Optometry and Vision Sciences
• Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Psychology

We aim to be a world-leading centre of academic and clinical excellence, renowned for holistic, student-focused education and specialty training targeted at improving the health and well-being of society. An integrated approach is taken to all aspects of health and bio-scientific research, achieving internationally respected results at all stages of the medical research process, from laboratory science through to improved medical and healthcare practices.

Our research

We played an important part in the REF 2014 results. Cardiff University is officially 2nd in the UK for its world-leading research in psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience breaking the grip of the UK’s golden triangle of research intensive universities in these fields. From the discovery of a new bacteria resistant to antibiotics; creating new treatments for leukaemia, breast and prostate cancers; and improving dialysis treatment, our world-leading research in clinical medicine has helped secure a ranking of 8th in the UK with 80 per cent deemed ‘outstanding’ for its impact in terms of its reach and significance. The same is also true of our research in health services and primary care. The sustained excellence of our research involving contributions from diverse areas including pharmacy, dentistry healthcare sciences, medicine, and optometry and vision sciences ranks us amongst the very best in the UK (4th).

Impact

The impact of our work is seen in a range of activities from the introduction of new therapies and diagnostics, leading change in practice and standards, through to advancing and informing public policy initiatives. Research excellence is also particularly noteworthy in Biological Sciences. From the understanding of precisely how neurons grow and the fundamental processes that underlie cancer development; to exploring the genetics of orangutans, elephants, pandas and other endangered species.

Themes

We have formulated five broad research themes which will be our primary research drivers, and will facilitate the development and integration of research across the full spectrum of the College’s activities; Cancer, Immunology, Infection and Inflammation, Mind, Brain and Neuroscience, Population Health and Biosystems. The research themes will enable us to develop critical mass, coherence and scale in areas where Cardiff University has the potential to be world leading, and to identify and grow research synergies.