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Home / News & Events / News / SLDO to become leading research and teaching centre

SLDO to become leading research and teaching centre

We are delighted to announce that the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory (SLDO) and the University Centre for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) are merging. This exciting development will bring together multi-disciplinary researchers to form one of the UK’s largest research centres dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

As of March 2023, our combined group will operate as the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory under the leadership of Professor Deborah Cairns. Together we will continue to produce scientifically robust evidence that builds understanding of the determinants of health and care inequalities alongside research that is focused on understanding how these inequalities can be addressed. The Observatory has always been dedicated to the translation of evidence into action and we will continue to work closely with external partners in all sectors to ensure that our research is translated into policy and practice action.

Through this merger we will also welcome the integration of post-graduate learning and teaching into the Observatory. By bringing together world leading research and teaching we will be uniquely positioned to deliver the most up-to-date evidence informed qualifications and learning opportunities for health and social care practitioners.

Our work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be at the heart of all of our work and we look forward to expanding our connections with self-advocates and their organisations to ensure that the Observatory’s research and teaching is informed by the experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Our objectives:

  1. To address inequalities experienced by people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  2. To provide cutting-edge knowledge and skills for researchers and health and social care practitioners.
  3. To influence policy and improve practice in relation to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  4. To empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to contribute to social and scientific innovation.

The work of the Observatory will be concentrated around these overarching themes:

Over the coming weeks we will be updating our website to reflect the evolution of our combined research group. If you have any questions, please get in touch via sldo-info@glasgow.ac.uk and keep up with all the latest Observatory activities by following us on Twitter.

Page updated 9th March 2023