Society for Social Medicine - UK & Ireland

Social medicine is the study of health in its widest sense. It recognizes the broad determinants of health - income and poverty, education, environmental factors such as housing and transport - as well as health care and genetic influences. The Society aims to promote the development of scientific knowledge in social medicine. This covers a range of subjects including epidemiology, the medical and health needs of society, the provision and organization of health services and the prevention of disease. The nature of social medicine requires a multi-disciplinary approach to the development of scientific knowledge. The disciplines involved include medicine, epidemiology, statistics, economics, social science and many others. Membership of the Society is open to anyone whose work is consistent with the Society's objective. This inclusive criterion has led to a membership which comes from many disciplines and backgrounds but which shares research interests and methodologies. To achieve its objective, the Society holds an annual scientific meeting, and one or two other scientific meetings each year which focus on particular themes. The formats of the meetings allow for presentations by leading authorities in their fields, reports of new research findings, and opportunities for developing and maintaining networks and friendships. The Society also maintains a website, distributes a newsletter and other relevant material to its members, and responds to consultation documents. The Society is affiliated to the European Public Health Association and is a member of the International Epidemiological Association's European Epidemiology Federation. The Society was founded in 1956.

Website: http://www.socsocmed.org.uk Chair: Dr Allyson Pollock School of Public Policy UCL 29-30 Tavistock Square London WC1H 9QU UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 4985 E-Mail: allyson.pollock@ucl.ac.uk Fax: +44 (0)20 7916 8536 Secretary: Dr Rebecca Hardy  MRC National Survey of Health and Development Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Royal Free and University College London Medical School 1-19 Torrington Place London WC1E 6BT UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 1732 E-Mail: rebecca.hardy@ucl.ac.uk Fax: +44 (0)20 7813 0280 Treasurer: Dr Ian Harvey School of Health Policy and Practice University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ UK Tel: +44 (0)1603 593605 E-Mail: ian.harvey@uea.ac.uk Fax: +44 (0)1603 593604 Chair-Elect: Dr Margaret Whitehead Department of Public Health University of Liverpool Whelan Building Liverpool L69 3GB Tel: 0151 794 5576 E-Mail:mmw@liverpool.ac.uk Fax: 0151 794 5588 Past Chair: Dr Catherine Law MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit University of Southampton Southampton General Hospital Southampton SO16 6YD UK Tel: +44 (0)23 80777624 E-Mail: claw@mrc.soton.ac.uk Fax: +44 (0)23 80704021