About us
Who we are
EVIE – the Women's Health Evidence, Innovation and Evaluation Unit – is a multidisciplinary research unit based at ARU. We bring together researchers and collaborators across institutions to improve the quality, relevance and implementation of women's health evidence.
The unit was established to address a clear need: too many important questions in women's health remain unanswered, and too often the available evidence does not reflect the realities of clinical practice or the priorities of patients. EVIE exists to help close that gap.
Our work spans the full evidence pathway – from identifying uncertainty and synthesising existing knowledge, to designing new studies, evaluating treatments, understanding patient experience and supporting the implementation of findings into clinical practice and policy.
Find out more about our expertise.
Our vision
Our vision is to deliver high-quality research that improves women's health locally, nationally and internationally. We focus on questions that matter to women, families, clinicians and health systems, using robust methods to generate evidence that can change practice.
Our values
Rigour
We apply the highest methodological standards to every study we undertake. Robust methods are the foundation of evidence that can be trusted and acted upon.
Relevance
Our research questions are shaped by what matters to women, families, clinicians and health systems. Evidence that does not address real-world priorities has limited impact.
Inclusion
We are committed to research that reflects diverse women's experiences – across age, ethnicity, geography and socio-economic background. Inclusive research produces more generalisable and equitable evidence.
Collaboration
EVIE's strength is the breadth of its partnerships. We work across disciplines, institutions, clinical settings and communities to produce research that none of us could achieve alone.
Impact
Evidence is only valuable if it changes practice. We design our research with implementation in mind – producing outputs that support clinical decision-making, guideline development and health policy.
Why women's health evidence matters
Women's health conditions are among the most common causes of suffering, disability and reduced quality of life worldwide – yet many remain chronically under-researched relative to their burden.
- Women's health conditions are common, burdensome and often under-prioritised in research funding and clinical guidelines.
- Many everyday problems – from heavy menstrual bleeding and endometriosis to PMOS/PCOS and premenstrual disorders – affect millions of women but are supported by limited high-quality evidence.
- Better evidence improves diagnosis, treatment choices, care pathways and patient experience.
- Evidence must reflect patient priorities and real-world clinical decision-making – not only what is measurable in controlled settings.
- Closing evidence gaps in women's health has consequences beyond individual patients: it strengthens families, workforces and health systems.
Where we work
EVIE is based in ARU's Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care (HeMS), with a presence across multiple campuses and a network of collaborators that spans national and international institutions.
Our partners include:
- ARU HeMS
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London
- Collaborating academic institutions across the UK and internationally
- NHS Trusts and clinical services
- Women's health charities, NGOs and advocacy organisations including Verity, Endometriosis UK, The Fertility Alliance, MREF, and Menopause and Cancer CIC
- Clinical guideline groups and professional societies including RCOG and BMS