Research News

Slideshow of images for School of Medical Sciences

NISCHR AHSC NHS Staff Funding Call

The Welsh Assembly Government has recently produced a strategy for the development of the Academic Health Science Collaboration (AHSC) for Wales. Part of this important programme is to encourage NHS staff to apply for funding to participate in research which is aligned to national priority areas. The call is summarised here.

New multidisciplinary group in medical and diagnostic imaging

Dr Julian Breeze is coordinating the development of a new multidisciplinary group in medical and diagnostic imaging. The aim of the group is to provide an exciting network opportunity to further develop the breadth and strength of medical and diagnostic imaging research across the schools within Bangor University and to form closer links with researchers within the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The group will consist of a broad spectrum of professionals such as technicians, radiographers, radiologists, researchers, clinicians, computer engineers, and others who have an interest in this field and would be associated with the University and/or NHS. The group meetings will consist of talks on specific issues regarding this subject, case discussions, technological advances and issues, discussions on journal articles, research in this area, and more. If you are interested in joining the group or learning more contact Dr Breeze directly.

Dr John Hindle - Psychological distress in people with Parkinson’s disease

Dr Hindle was a co-applicant on a successful application to East Kent University NHS foundation Trust to study "Psychological distress in people with Parkinson’s disease: Factors influencing help seeking, behaviour and treatment utilisation". The grant worth £98,795 was awarded to the principal investigator, Dr Mike Samuel Consultant Neurologist, who is working closely with the other co-applicant Dr Richard Brown from Kings College Hospital Institute of Psychiatry. The study is a development from the PROMS-PD 5 year project of mood states in Parkinson's disease. Dr Hindle provided expert advice on the clinical aspects of depression in Parkinson's disease and the tools used to screen for depression based on the recent NICE guidelines on depression with chronic physical health problems. Although the study will be based in Kent, Dr Hindle will play an active advisory role in the project and aims to extend the research to North Wales.

Mr Tosan Okoro - 'Optimising patient function following elective total hip replacement surgery'.

Mr Tosan Okoro, a WCAT Clinical Lecturer, was awarded £7,432 by the North Wales Research Committee for a study entitled 'Optimising patient function following elective total hip replacement surgery'. This is a randomised controlled trial comparing a home-based, largely unsupervised resistance training programme to standard physiotherapy after hip replacement surgery for the purposes of improving patient function. The grant will aid the analysis of muscle samples which will be collected to see whether there are preoperative predictors of a good functional outcome as well as changes as a result of the exercise intervention. The study commenced in March 2010 and is already more than halfway through the recruitment schedule. It involves collaborations between the Schools of Medical Science, Psychology, Health Economics, Sports, Health and Exercise Sciences as well as the departments of Orthopaedics and Physiotherapy at Ysbyty Gwynedd. The trial forms the basis of Mr Tosan Okoro's Ph.D. project.

Prof. Michael Rees - €8,551,897 EU funded study - Remote controlled Senorized ARTificial heart enabling patients empowerment and new therapy approaches

Prof. Michael Rees was a co-applicant on a successful European funded FP7 project entitled "A remote controlled Sesnorized ARTificial heart enabling patients empowerment and new therapy approaches" (SensorART). The SensorART project, worth a total of €8,551,897, focuses on management and remote treatment of patients suffering from heart failure using innovative tele-control services allowing the patient and the healthcare professional to keep under control the performance of cardiovascular implanted assist devices (VAD). The project is led by the CNR Clinical Physiology Institute (CNR) in Milan, and involves a consortium of academic, clinical, and industrial research centres across Europe working on the clinical, biomedical, biochemical, and systems aspects of the project. Dr Julian Breeze and Mr Dean Williams in the School of Medical Sciences are also involved in the study.

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