Research

Groups
Themes

Big Data Institute (BDI)

Big Data Institute (BDI)

Cancer Epidemiology Unit (CEU)

Cancer Epidemiology Unit (CEU)

HeLEX specialises in investigating the relationships between law, ethics and practice in the area of emerging technologies in health.

Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX)

Centre on Population Approaches for Non Communicable Disease Prevention (CPNP)

Centre on Population Approaches for Non Communicable Disease Prevention (CPNP)

Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU)

Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU)

ETHOX

ETHOX

Health Economics Research Centre (HERC)

Health Economics Research Centre (HERC)

HSRU supports a programme of research that enables the development of an effective Health Service, which delivers the best possible health to the greatest number of people.

Health Services Research Unit (HSRU)

Medical Careers Research Group (MCRG)

Medical Careers Research Group (MCRG)

Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit (MRC PHRU)

Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit (MRC PHRU)

National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU)

National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU)

Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities (WEH)

Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities (WEH)

Aspirin can block the aggregation of blood platelets and in the early 1980s several randomised trials assessed whether it might be able to prevent heart attacks and strokes in people at high risk of such an event. These trials were too small to provide a definitive answer, so we established the Anti-Platelet Trialists’ (APT) Collaboration to conduct a meta-analysis of all such trials.

Aspirin and other Anti-Platelet Drugs

The emergence of new digital technologies is allowing huge quantities of information on health exposures and outcomes to be captured, stored, and analysed using advanced statistical techniques. ‘Big data’ will provide new ways to conduct research and offers the potential of a dramatic increase in the scale and efficiency of clinical studies.

Big Data

Despite improvements in survival in recent decades, cancer remains a major cause of death. The most common types of cancer in males are lung cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer, and in females, are breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer.

Cancer

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes all the diseases of the heart and circulation such as coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack, congenital heart disease and stroke. Despite improvements in the prevention and treatment of CVD, it remains the leading cause of death worldwide particularly in developed countries.

Cardiovascular Disease

Blood lipids are a major cause of cardiovascular disease. It has been known for some time that higher levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with higher heart disease risk, but effective treatments to substantially lower LDL cholesterol have only become available in recent decades.

Cholesterol

Degenerative diseases of the brain and nervous system such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease, are common and serious health problems of middle and old age.

Dementia and other Neurodegenerative Diseases

Obesity is a major factor influencing the burden of disease globally. We investigate the impact of obesity on health and on the healthcare system across a range of diseases. Our research into diet and nutrition assesses the environmental determinants of dietary behaviour and models and evaluates population based interventions, such as food labelling and so-called junk food taxes, which aim to promote healthier eating.

Diet, Nutrition and Obesity

The translation of medical research into health care practice can present a range of ethical challenges. If ethical and social issues are not identified, analysed and appropriately addressed as research progresses, they have the potential to block the successful completion of the research and its translation into health benefits. In a time of rapid scientific advances and emerging technologies in healthcare, the exploration of the relationships between law, ethics and practice can identify how new technologies may be accommodated within existing legal frameworks and whether these frameworks need to change.

Health Ethics and Law

Health Economics research explores the economic aspects of health and disease including the determinants of health, the economic consequences of ill health, the costs and benefits of prevention and treatment, and the financing, design and evaluation of health systems.

Healthcare Economics

More than half a million people worldwide have a kidney transplant and many more are waiting for one. People with kidney disease have a much higher risk of developing a number of diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease.

In Diabetes Mellitus blood sugar levels are raised over a prolonged period. People with diabetes are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and damage to the eyes. Rates of type-2 diabetes have increased rapidly in recent decades due to changes in diet and other lifestyle factors.

Kidney Disease and Diabetes

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were developed over 30 years ago as short self-complete questionnaires to find out about aspects of health of most concern to people. PROMs are increasingly used in clinical trials and since 2009 have been used by the NHS to assess health outcomes of some elective surgical procedures. Their role as a health outcome measure for long-term conditions is likely to be more complex and needs to be assessed.

Patient Reported Outcomes and Experience

Perinatal research aims to improve the health and care of mothers, babies and families. This involves using different methodological approaches with the goal of generating robust research evidence about the causes, consequence and treatment of conditions and exposures during conception, pregnancy and around the time of birth.

Perinatal Health