Roles in the life sciences can be divided into three areas: - Pathology - investigating the causes of illness and how it progresses; carrying out tests on tissue, blood and other samples from patients. Pathology plays a crucial role in helping doctors choose the best type of treatment for patients, and monitoring its effectiveness - Genetics - understanding the genetic components of illnesses. - Reproductive science - a rapidly developing field, creating life and providing other solutions to infertility.

Healthcare science staff who work in the physiological sciences use specialist equipment, advanced technologies and a range of different procedures to evaluate the functioning of different body systems, to diagnose abnormalities, and to direct and in some case, provide therapeutic intervention and long-term management and care.

Clinical bioinformatics is an area of healthcare science responsible for developing and improving methods for acquiring, storing, organising and analysing biological data that supports the delivery of patient care.

Healthcare science staff in this area develop methods of measuring what is happening in the body, devise new ways of diagnosing and treating disease, and ensure that equipment is functioning safely and effectively.