Centre for Positive Health Sciences

Report by Professor Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Interim Director of Centre for Positive Health Sciences

The Centre for Positive Health Sciences is dedicated to advancing health and well-being through innovative education and research. Its mission is to enhance health and well-being through the integration of coaching psychology, positive psychology and lifestyle medicine. Aligned with the RCSI Strategy 2023-2027, Innovating for a Healthier Future, our efforts focus on fostering student success and well-being, creating positive learning experiences and contributing to global health improvements.

Now in its sixth year, the Centre offers a comprehensive suite of Postgraduate programmes that support success and well-being, shares positive health information with a wide audience and engages in cutting-edge research, disseminating findings globally through academic publications and events.

Postgraduate programmes

  • Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine is an entry-level micro- credential on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine.
  • The Professional Diploma in Positive Health is designed for health and allied professionals. This online diploma introduces students to the theory and research that underpins Positive Health.
  • The Professional Diploma in Leading Workplace Health and Well-being is designed for leaders and professionals responsible for well-being in their organisational contexts. This diploma empowers students with the essential skills to enhance personal health and well-being while also driving systemic improvements.
  • The MSc in Positive Health Coaching is an accredited training programme designed for health and allied professionals who would like to incorporate coaching and coaching approaches in their work. This programme integrates learning and insights from coaching, positive psychology, health psychology and lifestyle medicine.
  • The MSc in Applied Positive Psychology (Well-being and Health) is the Centre’s newest offering. Delivered entirely online, it is designed for professionals from a broad range of sectors who are interested in enhancing health and well-being through the application of positive psychology.

Making health information available

The Centre seeks to make useful, evidence-based information about health and well-being accessible to a wide audience. Faculty and researchers share practical strategies and ideas to enhance health and well-being through events such as RCSI MyHealth, radio and television interviews, podcasts, articles in newspapers and magazines, free webinars and free online courses.

A man holds up a microphone to answer a question from the audience, while his three colleagues look on.

Engaging in research and disseminating findings

Faculty and researchers at the Centre are engaged in innovative research on positive health, securing more than €1m in annual funding. Research findings are disseminated through publication in leading academic journals and presented at global conferences. The Centre hosts an annual Positive Health Summit to share learnings and bring together a global community passionate about enhancing health and well-being. In July 2026, the Centre and RCSI will host the year’s largest positive psychology conference under the theme of ‘Body Meets Mind: Positive Psychology and Health for Everyone’.