About us
Beyond BBV
Beyond BBV is a phenomenal opportunity to drive change in public health and practice.
The GCU Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses (SHBBV) research group is an internationally acclaimed, interdisciplinary research group.
Our research outputs are central to the three key policy areas for Scottish, UK and wider global infection control within sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and BBV:
1) HIV transmission elimination by 2030
2) Hepatitis C elimination in advance of 2030 and reduction in Hepatitis C related poor health
3) ‘Digital first’ healthcare.
REF2021
The team’s HIV and hepatitis C research played a big part in the School of Health and Life Sciences’ (HLS) Research Centre for Health’s (ReaCH) success in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) results. The school's outstanding real-world impact in health research was assessed as joint first in Scotland and joint second in the UK. This helped to drive home GCU’s global reputation as a world-leading provider of health research with real-world impact.
The REF2021 results followed on from GCU health researchers receiving a top international impact award for world-leading HIV and hepatitis C prevention research in people who inject drugs. The SHBBV research group’s research has also helped Scotland become one of the first countries in the world to provide a successful HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis service.
Our aims
- Deliver key research to inform the elimination of blood borne virus (BBV) transmission and reduction in BBV-related poor health in Scotland
- Contribute to national and international clinical and public health guidance, practice and policy
- Continue to demonstrate impactful results in HIV prevention among some of the most disadvantaged people in society
- Maintain meaningful public engagement
- Follow a focused and ambitious national approach, built on strong policy, academic, public health, clinical and NGO partnership working, which could form a blueprint for other health conditions and nations
