People with type 2 diabetes are 32% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those without diabetes, a new study by UCL, University of Oxford and Queen Mary University of London researchers has found. The research, published today in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy ... READ MORE
Supermarket interventions could play role in public health strategies, study finds
Oxford researchers have found that interventions carried out in in grocery stores - such as manipulating price or availability or suggesting swaps – have an impact on purchasing and could play a role in public health strategies to improve the nutritional quality of people’s diets. The study, ... READ MORE
New haematology patient group launched
The launch of a new patient engagement group for those with blood conditions has brought together patients, clinicians and researchers to discuss how to get patient involved in research. A screening of the film People are Messy at the Ultimate Picture Palace followed by a group discussion ... READ MORE
Health minister visits Oxford BRC
The Health Minister, Lord O'Shaughnessy, visited the NIHR Oxford BRC on Wednesday 30 May to take a look at the ground-breaking research that is taking place in the fields of cancer and genomics. He was accompanied on the tour by Oxford BRC Director Prof Keith Channon and Head of Research ... READ MORE
JRO opens doors for Clinical Trials Day
Researchers from across the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) and the University of Oxford visited the Joint Research Office (JRO) on Friday (18 May) as it threw open its doors for International Clinical Trials Day. The JRO brings together research support services for the ... READ MORE
BRC HIV research showcased at Chelsea Flower Show
Scientists backed by NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRC) have teamed up with designers and young people living with HIV to create a show garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden, whose theme is ‘HIV: stigma and cure’, highlights the successes and challenges still faced by young ... READ MORE
Exercise does not slow mental decline in people with dementia, study finds
Moderate to high intensity exercise does not slow cognitive impairment in older people with dementia, a study by Oxford researchers has found. The study, published on 17 May by the BMJ, found that although the exercise programme improved physical fitness, it could not be recommended as a ... READ MORE
Partial knee replacements better for many patients and cheaper for NHS
Researchers at the University of Oxford have found that many more patients could be given a partial knee replacement instead of a total knee replacement, resulting in improvements in their quality of life and lower costs for the healthcare system. The researchers from the Nuffield Department of ... READ MORE
ISO 9001 audit success
In April, the Oxford BRC successfully participated in an external audit by ACS Registrars Ltd, a UKAS-accredited certification body. The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s funding Management System was successful certified to the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2015, a new standard ... READ MORE
Online tool allows patients with ulcerative colitis to manage condition
An online tool that allows people with a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to manage their own condition and reduce hospital visits is being rolled out to more patients in Oxford. The decision to expand use of the True Colours platform for people with ulcerative colitis follows a ... READ MORE
3,200 Oxfordshire residents to take part in kidney disease study
One of UK’s largest observational studies of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in general practice gets underway this month, with 3,205 Oxfordshire residents involved. Over the next two years, the New onset Kidney Impairment (NewKI) study will work with 13 Oxfordshire GP surgeries to ... READ MORE
Study confirms close contact casting offers alternative to surgery in unstable ankle fractures in older people
A study has confirmed that a new form of casting offers an alternative to invasive surgery in older people who have unstable ankle fractures. The study comparing initial treatment with close contact casting (CCC) and the usual open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery was conducted by ... READ MORE
Killer T cells show their kinder side, BRC researchers reveal
The immune system protects the body by responding to invading organisms, but how is an attack on useful resident microbes prevented? Two NIHR Oxford BRC researchers have identified a pathway that allows immune cells to sense and respond to beneficial bacteria. The article by the Oxford BRC’s ... READ MORE
Oxford Centre for Haematology stages inaugural event
The new Oxford Centre for Haematology has held its inaugural event at Keble College, Oxford. The event, which will be held annually, was attended by around 200 academics, healthcare professionals and representatives of industry. Some speakers travelled from as far away as the United ... READ MORE
Gestational diabetes app study show positive results
A 21-month study into the safety and effectiveness of a smartphone application for women with gestational diabetes, developed with support from NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, has shown positive results. The randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the GDm-Health app, a digital therapeutic ... READ MORE
Premature hearts less able to cope with exercise
The hearts of people born prematurely are less able to cope with the pressures of exercise in adulthood, according to a new study funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, might explain why people born ... READ MORE
Serious asthma attacks reduced by temporary quadrupling of steroid inhaler, study finds
Serious asthma attacks in adults can be reduced by a temporary but significant increase in the dose of inhaled steroids during asthma deteriorations, according to a new national study involving NIHR Oxford BRC. The Fourfold Asthma Study (FAST), published in the New England Journal of Medicine ... READ MORE
Sharp rise in heart disease patients experiencing five or more other conditions
The proportion of people experiencing heart disease and stroke who have five or more other health conditions quadrupled between 2000 and 2014, and the rise was not driven by age, according to new research funded by the NIHR Oxford BRC. The study by The George Institute for Global Health at the ... READ MORE
Respiratory theme showcased at Brookes Science Bazaar
Staff from the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Respiratory Theme engaged with young members of the public at the Brookes Science Bazaar on Saturday 24 February. The event, aimed at primary school children, drew in around 2,000 people and was busy throughout the whole day. In one popular ... READ MORE
New funding allows John Radcliffe to expand testing for deadly heart conditions
Thousands more people nationally – and hundreds in our region - could be screened for deadly inherited heart conditions at the John Radcliffe Hospital after it received a grant to expand a genetic testing service. The funding from the Miles Frost Fund and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) was ... READ MORE