The Oxford BRC is delighted to announce the appointment of seven new Senior Research Fellows. They were chosen from an extremely strong field of 47 applicants from across the scientific and clinical community because they demonstrated that their research was high impact and of high quality . They were also able to demonstrate leadership, independence … Read more
News for Clinical Informatics and Big Data
New project to accelerate clinical trial recruitment
A new project, led by the University of Oxford, will use NHS data to accelerate recruitment into clinical trials and increase the opportunities for NHS patients to participate in research. Every NHS hospital keeps a detailed record of activities. A monthly report is sent to NHS Digital, who host the data in trust for the … Read more
Concerns raised as opioid prescriptions rise across UK
Researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre(BRC) have recommended greater action to promote best practice, as a new study revealed a rise in prescriptions of opioids for treating chronic pain over thepast 20 years. The research reviewing opioid prescribing, published in the Lancet Psychiatry, showed that UK doctors are prescribing more and stronger … Read more
Genetic changes associated with physical activity emerge thanks to machine learning pioneers
Time spent sitting, sleeping and moving is determined in part by our genes, University of Oxford researchers have shown. In one of the most detailed projects of its kind, the scientists studied the activity of 91,105 UK Biobank participants who had previously worn an activity monitor on their wrist for a week. The scientists taught … Read more
Study reveals trends in incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax
Oxford researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre have published research that show how the rates of incidence and recurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax have changed over time. The research, published on 9 October in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved teams from the Oxford BRC’s Respiratory and Clinical Informatics themes, using … Read more
Oxford team use DNA sequencing and patient data to halt infection outbreak
Clinical and research teams at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust, using infection prevention and control best practice, whole genome sequencing and electronic patient data, have halted an outbreak of a potentially deadly fungal pathogen after detecting that multi-use patient equipment was responsible. The breakthrough at the John Radcliffe Hospital is significant as this … Read more
Research for better shared decision-making in knee surgery
New research by a team at the University of Oxford, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, provides a robust basis for informed shared decision-making and consent on keyhole knee surgery. An innovative study, published today in the Lancet, using 20 years’ worth of data covering around 700,000 arthroscopic partial meniscectomies (APM), or keyhole … Read more
Genetic link discovered between circadian rhythms and mood disorders
In the largest ever genetic study of circadian rest-activity cycles in humans, scientists at the University of Glasgow, supported by data from the NIHR oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), have identified a possible genetic link between circadian disruption and mood disorders. The new findings, published on 15 August in EBioMedicine, follow research published earlier this … Read more
BRC researcher to lead NIHR funding board
An Oxford BRC-supported researcher is to chair a new national NIHR board to assess funding applications. Prof Andrew Farmer will assess applications to the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR-HTA). The NIHR HTA Programme is the biggest of the NIHR research programmes and assesses around 600 research applications every year. Due to the increasing popularity of … Read more
Health minister learns about digital innovation at Oxfordshire hospitals
Lord Prior, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health, is shown The System for Electronic Notification and Documentation (SEND) system at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital by Geratology Consultant by Dr Sudhir Singh Digital technology to improve patient care at Oxfordshire’s hospitals was showcased during a visit to the John Radcliffe Hospital … Read more