The Centre's research agenda covers many topics that focus on how to improve lives in Northern Ireland and internationally. In high income countries the focus of the Centre is on policy-relevant areas such as the impact of welfare reform, optimal design and management of the health sector, incentivising ‘positive’ health behaviours, causal determinants and effects of the different components of wellbeing, and coping with demographic change.

In developing countries the Centre’s activities includes research into topics such as delivering healthcare services, the economic return on health investments, and optimal policies in the field of maternal and child health.