IPED Research Group

About the Image and Performance Enhancing Drug Research Group and IPED Conference

Research, scholarship and knowledge exchange for lifelong health and wellbeing.

A shared interest in health-related research across all Faculties.

The IPED Research Group was developed in association with the relaunch of the Institute for Health Research (IHR) in March 2017. The vision of the IHR is to establish a world leading health research institute by developing a virtual hub for partnership, collaboration and networking in health research within and beyond LJMU.

The Public Health Institute (PHI) initiated the development of the IPED Research Group with an overall aim of bringing together a range of multidisciplinary areas that will provide LJMU with an overarching group of experts.

The group specialises in Image and Performance Enhancing Drug (IPED) research and explores the complex issues of IPED use in modern society. We bring together a range of research experts from across the University, including:

As well as a diverse range of experience and research interests including (but not limited to):

  • IPED related health harms, including injecting drug use
  • Public health and cross cultural differences in IPED use
  • Socio-psychology and sociology of the body and life style choices
  • Doping in sport
  • Chemistry and pharmacological properties of emerging human enhancement drugs
  • Gender, steroid use and gym culture
  • Dependency and abuse of substances used for human enhancement

Read our brochure


IPED Conference 2017

PHI and the Institute for Health Research recently held an Image and Performance Enhancing Drug use conference which highlighted the IPED research taking place at LJMU. The conference took place at the Liverpool Maritime Museum on Albert Dock and was attended by academics, commissioners and practitioners working in the IPED field.

The keynote address was delivered by Bill Llewellyn. A scientist and author in the field of nutrition and hormone medicine, Bill is considered to be a leading US authority on the misuse of anabolic steroids within the general population.

Other presentations were delivered by members of the recently formed IPED Research Group within the University and other members of the IHR.

Programme and presentations