The Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health was founded in 2010 by Professor Cam Donaldson, a renowned health economist. The Centre was named in honour of Professor Muhammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to advance social and economic opportunities of the poor through work on microcredit. Mohammad Yunus was Glasgow Caledonian University’s Chancellor from 2012 to 2018. Professor Cam Donaldson was Director of the Centre from 2010 to 2016, followed by Professor Rachel Baker who became Director in August 2016.

The work of the Centre cuts across the three main societal challenges listed in Glasgow Caledonian University's Research Strategy: inclusive societies, healthy lives and sustainable environments. Focusing on health and wellbeing, the Centre aims to transform the lives of vulnerable communities through pioneering research in the areas of microfinance; social business and health economics.

The mission of the Centre is to make a tangible difference to people’s lives through: better understanding health risks, determinants of health inequalities and drivers of well-being, particularly in deprived communities; examining how such risks, inequalities and drivers can be influenced by social rather than medical interventions; developing methods and exploring disciplinary interfaces to devise new frameworks for evaluating social business, microfinance and related social innovations; collaborating with the public, policy makers and practitioners in translating research evidence for improvement in health and well-being.

The Centre is based in the George Moore Building at Glasgow Caledonian University.