The designation, which covers the period 2026–2030, recognises the CBC’s global leadership in advancing the science and application of behaviour change to address major health, social and environmental challenges.
Through the new collaboration, WHO and UCL will work together to develop practical tools, guidance, training and knowledge-sharing activities to support the systematic use of behavioural and implementation sciences in public health policy and programme delivery.
Behavioural science plays an important role in tackling many of today’s most pressing health challenges, from antimicrobial resistance to climate adaptation and maternal health. While evidence-based interventions continue to advance, their impact often depends on successful implementation in real-world settings. Behavioural and implementation sciences help bridge this gap by supporting the translation of evidence into effective policy and practice.
Professor Susan Michie, Director of the CBC at UCL, said: “This designation provides an important opportunity to work with WHO to strengthen the application of behavioural sciences across global health. By translating evidence into practical tools and approaches, we can help support more effective policies, programmes and health outcomes.”
Professor Fabiana Lorencatto, Co-Director of the CBC, added: “We are excited to collaborate with WHO to ensure that behavioural sciences evidence is applied in ways that are practical, scalable and impactful across diverse public health contexts.”
Over the coming years, the Collaborating Centre will support WHO through technical expertise, co-development of practical tools, and delivery of training and knowledge-sharing activities designed to strengthen behavioural sciences capability across public health systems.
Elena Altieri, Global Technical Lead for Behavioural Insights at WHO, said: “This collaboration expands WHO’s capacity to apply behavioural sciences more consistently across our work and to support partners in addressing complex health challenges where understanding human behaviours is central to success.”
The collaboration will contribute to the implementation of WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work, supporting action on priority health challenges and helping accelerate progress towards universal health coverage and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Visit the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change website to find out more about the CBC’s world-leading work across research, education, training and consultancy. The CBC is part of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS), within UCL’s Faculty of Brain Sciences.
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Based on this WHO press release: WHO designates new Collaborating Centre to strengthen the application of behavioural sciences for better health.