MRC Epidemiology Unit
The MRC Epidemiology Unit is a department at the University of Cambridge. It is working to improve the health of people in the UK and around the world.
Obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders present a major and growing global public health challenge. These disorders result from a complex interplay between genetic, developmental, behavioural and environmental factors that operate throughout life.
The mission of the Unit is to investigate the individual and combined effects of these factors and to develop and evaluate strategies to prevent these diseases and their consequences.
MRC Epidemiology Unit Seminar series
Find a list of upcoming seminars and recordings of previous ones. Receive emails about future seminars and other alerts: subscribe here.
Become a study volunteer
We are is involved in many studies that look at obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders. But you don’t need to have one of these conditions to help us with our research. We are constantly looking for volunteers to enroll in our studies and help us improve our knowledge of these diseases.
Data sharing
We are committed to sharing data to maximise the value of our work for the public good. Our Data Sharing pages have details of the principles and processes for accessing and sharing data.
Work and study
We offer an extensive range of career opportunities for scientists, research support staff and management professionals. Whether you are a recent graduate or a senior researcher, we want to attract and train the brightest minds, and invest in their futures through structured career development training and on-the-job learning.
Making an Impact
We are building research, clinical and public health pathways for the application of our work. This means collaborating across sectors, developing new approaches for healthcare, and informing population approaches to disease prevention and public health promotion.
Our latest news
Sugary drinks tax may have prevented over 5,000 cases of obesity a year in year six girls alone
The introduction of the soft drinks industry levy – the ‘sugary drinks tax’ – in England was followed by a drop in the…
Lessons for decentralised studies from high levels of engagement with Fenland COVID-19 study app
Scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge in collaboration with Huma Therapeutics Limited have published results from…
Fitness levels can be predicted using wearable devices…and no treadmill required!
Cambridge researchers have developed a method for measuring overall fitness accurately on wearable devices – and more robustly than current consumer smartwatches and…
PhD student Stasa Stankovic wins at Robert Greenblatt Award at World Congress on Menopause
At this year’s World Congress on Menopause in Lisbon Stasa Stankovic, a PhD student in the Unit’s Early Life Aetiology and Mechanisms programme, won…