BRC https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 15:56:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.2 New Scientist Live 2022 to feature Dr Blair Merrick, FERARO trial coordinator, as a guest speaker. https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/09/22/new-scientist-live-2022-to-feature-dr-blair-merrick-feraro-trial-coordinator-as-a-guest-speaker/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/09/22/new-scientist-live-2022-to-feature-dr-blair-merrick-feraro-trial-coordinator-as-a-guest-speaker/#respond Thu, 22 Sep 2022 15:56:11 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16703   Dr Blair Merrick is a Clinical Research Fellow at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust who specialises in infectious diseases and general medicine. He is currently coordinating the FERARO study that is looking at the feasibility of eliminating of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the guts of affected patients using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). […]

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Dr Blair Merrick is a Clinical Research Fellow at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust who specialises in infectious diseases and general medicine. He is currently coordinating the FERARO study that is looking at the feasibility of eliminating of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the guts of affected patients using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).

Blair has been invited to talk about the work of FMT, specifically FERARO, at this year’s New Scientist Live, taking place at the EXCEL Centre London on 9 October.

We caught up with Blair to find out more…

What is fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)?

“Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is a medical procedure involving the transfer of microbes such as bacteria, viruses and fungi found in feces, from healthy donors to patients. We know it’s a beneficial treatment for patients suffering from the infection C. difficile, which is a bacterial infection that can develop in the large bowel as a result of previous antibiotic use. Patients with this C. difficile often have an abnormal microbiota meaning the condition can cause an infection – receiving FMT can replenish the microbiota and stop this from happening.

Many other conditions are associated with an abnormal microbiota. These include liver disease, inflammatory disorders such as ulcerative colitis, and even neurodegenerative problems such as Parkinson’s disease.”

Can you tell us about the FERARO trial?

“Since 2020, we’ve been conducting the FERARO study here at Guy’s and St Thomas’ to assess the feasibility of giving FMT to patients who are affected by certain types of antibiotic resistant bacteria in their guts. These patients often get recurrent infections caused by these bacteria which are challenging to treat because antibiotic options are limited. There is hope that FMT may be able to eradicate resistant bacteria from the gut and reduce the chances of this happening.”

How did you become involved in the FERARO study?

“I joined the FMT team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ in early 2020. I decided to take time out of my clinical training as a doctor specialising in infectious diseases and general medicine to conduct some research. I’ve been interested in FMT for a few years, as well as antimicrobial resistance, so this opportunity to work on the FERARO trial seemed like the perfect combination.”

What can a volunteer expect as part of any FMT trial?

“For our healthy donors the process of becoming a stool donor is similar regardless of the FMT study or the use of the FMT. Donors are screened for anything that could potentially be transmitted from them to one of our recipients – this process is conducted according to national guidelines and involves a health questionnaire and blood and stool tests. For our recipients, we explain in great what the study entails, as well as providing written information. All volunteers have the option to leave the trial at any time if they decide it’s not for them.

Trial participants are completely essential to everything we do. Without healthy stool donors and FMT recipients, we could not conduct studies and generate evidence to say whether or not something works. We are completely indebted to all of them.”

What will you be doing at New Scientist Live?

“I’ll be discussing work of the FERARO study and FMT generally with one of the New Scientist Live team then answering questions from the audience. I’ll also be showcasing a video we’ve produced with the support of one of our patients, and some of our donors – this will give the audience a real feel for the ‘people’ behind the work we’re doing. I’m delighted to be part of New Scientist Live because it’s a brilliant opportunity to talk to people who might not otherwise know about all things FMT. Being able to talk about the work at an interactive event like this is something I don’t get the chance to do often, so I’m really looking forward to it!”

What are you hoping the audience will take away from your talk?

“Understanding in the field of FMT is rapidly developing, and it is likely that new therapies will be developed that target the microbiota in the coming years. I hope that by coming to my talk, people will learn a bit about the gut microbiota and FMT, how we make it, and how it helps patients, as well as the specific research studies we are involved in. Plus, they’ll also leave with a bit more knowledge about the world of healthcare research!”

And finally, is there anything else you think we might be interested to know?

“I appreciate that talking about feces, or stool or poo can be uncomfortable for some because it has an associated ‘ick’ factor, but the health of gut microbiota is intimately linked with a person’s general health. Unfortunately there isn’t a magic probiotic or food that will suddenly make you healthy (or certainly not one that we know of yet), so to keep your gut microbiota happy, the best thing you can do is eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy body weight.”

Most importantly, FMT should not be tried at home, or outside of a heavily regulated medical setting. We always need volunteers, so if you’re interested in getting involved in FMT trials or would just like some more information, then please have a look on our website and you’ll find everything you need there.”

 

Blair will be speaking at New Scientist Live on 9 October at 11.40am. For more information please visit their website.

If you would like to find out more about the FERARO and other FMT trials, please visit here or contact Dr Simon Goldenberg for an informal discussion.

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Guy’s and St Thomas’ Dr Christos Tziotzios awarded prestigious Wycombe Prize by the British Association of Dermatologists https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/09/07/guys-and-st-thomas-dr-christos-tziotzios-awarded-prestigious-wycombe-prize-by-the-british-association-of-dermatologists/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/09/07/guys-and-st-thomas-dr-christos-tziotzios-awarded-prestigious-wycombe-prize-by-the-british-association-of-dermatologists/#respond Wed, 07 Sep 2022 13:08:14 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16653 We are delighted to share the news that Dr Christos Tziotzios, Consultant Dermatologist and Senior Lecturer at St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ has recently been awarded the prestigious Wycombe Prize by the British Association of Dermatologists. The award was presented to Dr Tziotzios in recognition of his research into frontal fibrosing […]

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We are delighted to share the news that Dr Christos Tziotzios, Consultant Dermatologist and Senior Lecturer at St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ has recently been awarded the prestigious Wycombe Prize by the British Association of Dermatologists. The award was presented to Dr Tziotzios in recognition of his research into frontal fibrosing alopecia, a relatively new disease which is becoming increasingly common. This research provides new scientific insight into what causes the condition at a genetic level whilst also providing the opportunity to identify risk-predictors and new treatment targets.

The British Association of Dermatologists is the professional membership body for dermatologists in the UK, representing over 2,400 members. In their work to advocate dermatology in the UK, they develop educational content and courses, and support and publish dermatology research. Additionally, the association also hold dermatology events and conferences, promote innovation in dermatology care, and engage with decision-makers and stakeholders within the both the dermatology and wider health communities.

The Wycombe Prize is awarded to one of its members every two years for their outstanding contribution to dermatology. Nominees are assessed on research that has been published within the previous three years, based on work undertaken at a hospital either in the UK or Ireland. The prize includes The Wycombe Chair, a boxed silver miniature replica of a Windsor chair, which is held by the winner for the duration of their tenure.

Upon receiving the Wycombe Prize, Dr Tziotzios said:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to receive this award as recognition for our focused research efforts into alopecia. Alopecia is an illness of profound impact for patients and for which so little has been done to date, especially in comparison to other skin diseases. The award means a lot to all our patient participants, who have so enthusiastically engaged and helped with our research. We are continuing to work on frontal fibrosing alopecia with help from Alopecia UK, the British Skin Foundation and the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, in collaboration with an extensive network of colleague clinicians across the UK, but also Spain, Italy, Germany and Greece.”

In addition to his ongoing genetic and translational research into frontal fibrosing alopecia, with ongoing support via an academic grant from Pfizer UK Dr Tziotzios is now engaged in a study about an autoimmune form of alopecia known as alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is a type of alopecia caused by the immune system attacking the hair follicle, which leads to hair loss that can affect the entire scalp or whole body. Dr Tziotzios has set up the ‘Alopecia+me’ study to examine the impact of alopecia areata and what it means for patients, and help with this study from those live with the condition will be key to accomplishing this.

If you would like to take part in the ‘Alopecia + me’ study, then please visit the trial website.

Huge congratulations to Dr Tziotzios for receiving the well-deserved Wycombe Prize, and we look forward to seeing the results of his ongoing research into alopecia.

 

 

 

 

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‘I ♥ Research Academy’ conference – summer 2022 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/09/01/i-%e2%99%a5-research-academy-conference-summer-2022/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/09/01/i-%e2%99%a5-research-academy-conference-summer-2022/#respond Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:27:29 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16633 This summer’s ‘I ♥ Research Academy’ came to a close this week with our online youth conference where we celebrated our talented students and they presented their project findings to a judging panel, their mentors and peers. The academy conference signified the end of another hugely successful piece of work by the organisers and mentors, […]

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This summer’s ‘I ♥ Research Academy’ came to a close this week with our online youth conference where we celebrated our talented students and they presented their project findings to a judging panel, their mentors and peers.

The academy conference signified the end of another hugely successful piece of work by the organisers and mentors, who have spent the last six weeks working with a group of 30 students who live across the Trust’s communities, coaching and supporting them to broaden their knowledge and understanding of clinical research.

Following an intensive start in July where they were invited to three days of online workshops, students were then placed into working groups and given specific research projects to work on together over the course of six weeks. During this period, each group worked closely with a specialist mentor who helped them craft their research findings into the presentations attendees of the conference had the pleasure of watching and hearing.

The presentations included:

  • “How coding is used in health studies?” (an example using microbial data)

 

  • “SLEEP” (supporting children’s sleep in those with eczema)

 

  • “All for one, or one for all?” (what makes a universal vaccine?)

 

  • “Tell me about it” (three common issues women can experience during / as a result of pregnancy)

 

  • “The joys and wonders of setting up a clinical trial” (understanding the full process and all the components required to facilitate a study that focusses on insomnia)

 

The standard of the presentations was extremely high, with each group putting a great deal of thought into the content and delivery. The students excelled creatively, with presentations varying in format from mock news reports, quiz shows right through to a mock reality TV show! By the end of the conference, it was clear for all to see just how hard every academy student had worked throughout the summer, and the amount of effort and enthusiasm that had gone into each project and presentation.

Deciding which presentation was the winner proved to be a very difficult task, but after much deliberation the first prize was awarded to “All for one, or one for all?” (what makes a universal vaccine?) with “Tell me about it” (three common issues women can experience during / as a result of pregnancy) awarded as runner-up. A special acknowledgment was also given to the presenter of “The joys and wonders of setting up a clinical trial” (understanding the full process and all the components required to facilitate a study that focusses on insomnia)” who did a fantastic job of giving the presentation entirely by himself.

The judging panel was made up of a variety of members and included:

  • Safa Khan – former ‘I ♥ Research’ academy student
  • Neha Modha – Patient and Public Engagement Manager, Clinical Research Network South London
  • Aniqa Rob – Widening Participation Officer, King’s College London
  • Alistair Weir – Research Manager, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
  • Dan Jones – Communications Manager, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)

Sharing her thoughts of this summer’s successful ‘I ♥ Research Academy’, Jessica Sells, Research and Development’s Patient and Public Engagement Manager said:

“I’m so impressed with the enthusiasm, level of engagement and standard of work the students have brought to the academy. I really hope that by taking part in this experience they’ve gained some valuable insight, knowledge and understanding of what clinical research is all about and that they take this forward as they begin to establish their career paths. I hope the students stay in touch and keep us updated as to how they’re getting on – I’d love to see them at future events and getting involved in future opportunities”

Organised by the Research and Development Engagement team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT), the ‘I ♥ Research Academy’ is supported by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and King’s Health Partners. It aims to engage young people from across the Trust’s local communities on a long-term basis to gain new experiences and skills relevant to careers in healthcare research. With this innovative project, young people are presented with the opportunity to experience what it’s like to work in a real-life research setting alongside working researchers, which we hope will inspire and support the development of future health leaders.

The ‘I ♥ Research Academy’ would not be possible without the input and dedication of its mentors. We would like to thank the following colleagues for their support over this summer’s academy:

  • Dr Laura McCabe – Research Matron for reproductive health and childbirth (GSTT)
  • Ope Olusoga – Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner in reproductive health and childbirth
  • Dr Shona Cameron – Clinical Research Fellow in dermatology at the unit for population based dermatology research, St John’s Institute of Dermatology
  • Sonia Serrano – Research Manager at BRC
  • Jen Crook – Trial Manager BRC
  • Dr Rhia Kundu –King’s College London
  • Flavia Flaviani – Senior Bioinfomatician at GSTT Translational Bioinformatics Platform

Our summer 2022 students have been a delight to work with and we are incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved in such a short time. The ‘I ♥ Research Academy’ continues to go from strength to strength and we will continue to build on its increasing success, so much so that we’re already planning the next one…

 

If you would like more information about the ‘I ♥ Research Academy’ and how to get involved, please get in touch with Patient and Public Engagement Manager Jessica Sells.

 

 

 

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REVIVED-BCIS2 study clarifies the role of coronary stents as a treatment for heart failure https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/30/revived-bcis2-study-clarifies-the-role-of-coronary-stents-as-a-treatment-for-heart-failure/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/30/revived-bcis2-study-clarifies-the-role-of-coronary-stents-as-a-treatment-for-heart-failure/#respond Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:16:28 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16630 A landmark trial funded by our National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence at the School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, King’s College London, has clarified the role of coronary stents as a treatment for heart failure for patients with poor […]

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A landmark trial funded by our National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence at the School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, King’s College London, has clarified the role of coronary stents as a treatment for heart failure for patients with poor left ventricular function.

Coronary disease is the most common cause of heart failure worldwide and is responsible for 64,000 deaths in the UK each year. Coronary heart disease occurs when the coronary arteries become narrowed by build-up of fatty material within the artery wall which can lead to sudden heart attacks or, in some cases, gradually weaken the heart muscle.

While a treatment to widen the arteries with the insertion of a stent called percutaneous coronary intervention, (PCI), saves lives when used to treat patients at the time of an acute heart attack, the value of this treatment in patients with heart failure is uncertain. Despite this, many patients with heart failure currently undergo stent insertion if found to have coronary disease and this approach has been advocated by international guidelines.

REVIVED-BCIS2, led by clinical researchers from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London is the first trial to examine the efficacy and safety of PCI in patients with very poor left ventricular function. It is the largest cohort of such patients to be recruited to a randomised controlled trial to date.

The study recruited 700 patients from 40 centres across the UK, with a fifth of all participants being patients at Guy’s and St Thomas’. All the patients in the trial received optimal medical therapy which included heart failure medication and, in many cases, special heart failure pacemakers/defibrillators. In addition, half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive PCI to all narrowed arteries that supplied part of heart muscle that were not irreversibly scarred.

The trial group followed-up these patients closely for up to 8.5 years. They found that carrying out PCI did not seem to reduce the risk of heart failure or death.  37.2% of patients assigned to PCI and 38% of patients assigned to optimal medical therapy were either hospitalised for heart failure or died during follow-up. The trial also found that more than one third of patients in both groups either died or had to be admitted to hospital with severe heart failure. This confirms that even with optimal medical therapy, these patients continue to have a poor outcome.

Additionally, the trial examined heart function by using echocardiography to assess a metric called left ventricular ejection fraction. Researchers found that there was some improvement in heart function over the first year in all patients, but the same degree of improvement was found in both groups. They also measured quality of life of participants and, although this was better in patients who underwent PCI in the first 6-12 months, there was no significant difference between the two groups after two years.

Chief Investigator, Divaka Perera, consultant cardiologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Professor of Interventional Cardiology at King’s College London, said:

 “After years of practice based on anecdote and consensus opinion, we now have definitive evidence from the REVIVED trial that will help to rationalise management of this common condition. The results will probably lead to several changes in international guidelines and may also lead the scientific community to re-evaluate the concept of hibernation. This was the theory proposed decades ago to describe how the heart adapts to a chronic reduction in its own blood supply. The UK network of researchers has worked hard for nearly a decade and their efforts have been rewarded by providing a clear answer to this important question.”  

 

For more information and to read the full results of the REVIVED-BCIS2 study, please visit The New England Journal of Medicine

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Grant to support development of nursing excellence in inherited cardiac conditions (ICCs) https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/09/grant-to-support-development-of-nursing-excellence-in-inherited-cardiac-conditions-iccs/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/09/grant-to-support-development-of-nursing-excellence-in-inherited-cardiac-conditions-iccs/#respond Tue, 09 Aug 2022 12:40:28 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16572 Guy’s and St Thomas’ is part of the South East Genomic Medicine Service Alliance (SE GMSA) – a partnership with providers across South East England that aims to ensure patients fully benefit from advances in genomics, enabling timely and equitable access to genomic testing and genomically informed treatments. Tootie Bueser, previously the Trust’s Lead Nurse […]

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Guy’s and St Thomas’ is part of the South East Genomic Medicine Service Alliance (SE GMSA) – a partnership with providers across South East England that aims to ensure patients fully benefit from advances in genomics, enabling timely and equitable access to genomic testing and genomically informed treatments.

Tootie Bueser, previously the Trust’s Lead Nurse for Inherited Cardiac Conditions and now a Director of Nursing and Midwifery at SE GMSA has been awarded funding of £187,189 from the Burdett Trust for Nursing to lead a High Impact Programme across the region to increase knowledge and skills for cardiology specialist nurses to expand their scope of practice, expertise and to develop their leadership skills to support patients and families with ICCs, with the aim of improving diagnosis and patient outcomes.

ICCs affect around 340,000 people in the UK, resulting in ill health and is a leading cause of sudden death in young people. The impact of the conditions on the psychological and social wellbeing of those with the condition and their families is profound, diagnosis rates remain low and the uptake of cardiac screening and/or predictive genetic testing of at-risk family members needs improvement. There is significant potential for the nursing workforce, particularly those who are already working within cardiology to improve the quality of care for this patient group and help to prevent complications and sudden cardiac death.

The programme’s lead Tootie Bueser said: “This grant will enable us to boost the much needed nursing expertise in the diagnosis of ICCs and foster collaborations for service improvement and research across the whole south east region with the aim of improving diagnosis, patient outcomes and equitable access to genomic tests.”

The programme aims to lead practice improvement through:

  • Development of an education package featuring a short film with drop-in sessions designed for all nurses to promote awareness of ICCs – diagnosis and management, genomics, psychosocial impact, family care, referral pathways and patient support groups
  • Development a combined online and in-person training and education programme targeting cardiology specialist nurses with 28 ICC Genomic Nurse Fellowships
  • Provision of foundational and ‘Train the Trainers’ courses for experienced ICC specialist nurses focused on genetic counselling skills to increase nurses’ expertise capability and capacity to provide this service and deliver training to others.
  • Building a network of cardiology specialist nurses with additional training in ICCs to facilitate knowledge exchange, share examples of good practice and development of clinical competencies and evidence-based care pathways.

Commenting on the award Suzanne Bench, Director of Nurse and Midwife Led Research and Academic Leadership at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We are delighted that the excellence of nurses at the Trust and across the south east, and their important role in leading research and practice change and improvements, has been recognised through this grant award. Providing a multi-modal, blended education and training for nurses at all stages of their knowledge and experience with ICCs will allow us to nurture a workforce that will be fit to address the needs of patients and families with the most common inherited cardiac conditions –  irrespective of the setting in which they are encountered.”

Find out more about the programme and how to access its resources by contacting tootie.bueser@nhs.net

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‘Utopia Now!’ Zine Launch https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/09/utopia-now-zine-launch/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/09/utopia-now-zine-launch/#respond Tue, 09 Aug 2022 08:14:40 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16580 On Thursday 28 July young people from Southwark and Lambeth came together with researchers from across King’s Health Partners to discuss the big questions in healthcare research, in particular the future of healthcare technologies and genetic editing. The inspirational event took place at, and in collaboration with, Theatre Peckham (https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/) and was orchestrated by ‘Utopia […]

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On Thursday 28 July young people from Southwark and Lambeth came together with researchers from across King’s Health Partners to discuss the big questions in healthcare research, in particular the future of healthcare technologies and genetic editing.

The inspirational event took place at, and in collaboration with, Theatre Peckham (https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/) and was orchestrated by ‘Utopia Now!’ project lead Hannah Cowan.

The ‘Utopia Now!’ project has been supported by our National Institute for Health and Care Research Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). For the last two years the project has been bringing young people to the forefront of the discussion around the advancement of clinical research and their feelings of how it will impact the world. Participants worked together with social scientists and creative facilitators to develop creative content such as plays, short stories and films to express their hopes and fears for the future of health. Outputs were compiled into a beautiful zine and some were performed at the event.

Tiny Cingoz kicked off the performances with her poem entitled COVID-19, and discussed the difficulties she faced being unable to see friends and family in lockdown (https://www.utopianow.co.uk/covid-19). Aaliyah Weekes also read her poem, entitled “This Year” which asks people of 2050 to hear what it was like to be living in the year 2020 (https://www.utopianow.co.uk/thisyear).

Two short films were then screened capturing young peoples’ perspectives of what it was like to continue school in the pandemic, and what health and social care priorities need to be focused on in the future. One young person raised questions about the kinds of categories scientific data puts people in.

 

In the lead up to the event young people who were involved in writing and performing group science fiction plays as part of the ‘Utopia Now!’ project, were tasked withUtopia now Ibrahim developing monologues as a character in the same world two years later. Highlights included a monologue by Ibrahim playing the role of a cyborg from the play ‘Robots from Mars’ (https://www.utopianow.co.uk/robots) – asking questions about the relationships between humans and machines, and another monologue by Ash reminding us of the feeling of loss when technology fails (See their play ‘Into the Void’: https://www.utopianow.co.uk/void).

Science fiction writer Stephen Oram then introduced three young writers who contributed to “One Day in 2070” (https://www.utopianow.co.uk/fiction)–  a series of science fiction short stories. and plays, which were judged by the ‘Utopia Now!’ judging panel.   Stephen, who judged the initial writing competition and worked with the young authors to develop their work,  said “I had a pleasant surprise when I received the competition entries for judging. They were fantastic. Such insight into possible futures and of human behaviour was heartening. There was some really good story telling too. Not only did they make me smile, chuckle, gasp and raise my eyebrows they made me think about things I’d not previously considered.”

Following the performances, our NIHR BRC supported researchers working in fields spanning the students’ inspiration (technologies, AI and equality in healthcare) shared their research and responses to the thought provoking works, and posed their own questions to the group.

 

               

 

Claire Steves, co-founder of the ZOE app, (https://twinsuk.ac.uk/staff/dr-claire-steves/)  asked “Is there a way we could all do science more collectively, together, either through using technologies or through coming into spaces like this together?”.

Tianxiao Wang, Design Engineer and research student at Imperial College London involved in the BEARS project led by Guy’s and St Thomas’ (https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/microsites/bears/our-team/) asked “What role would you like to play in the future of science?”.

Sasha Henriques – Genetic counsellor and doctoral candidate at Cambridge at Wellcome Connecting science (https://societyandethicsresearch.wellcomeconnectingscience.org/staff/sasha-henriques ) who works as part of Dr Melita Irving’s team at Evelina London Children’s Hospital posed the question; “Science has and can cause harm, but it can also do real good – so what are the things we need to do to make science fairer?”.

Throughout the subsequent discussions between researchers, young people and the audience members, the themes of communication and trust repeatedly came up. Interestingly the group were hesitant about the increasing use of technology in our lives, and have a real desire to return back to being able to communicate in person rather than navigating their whole lives through apps and phones that have increasingly been relied on in the pandemic.

In response to how we can make science fairer for everyone, the main message being fed back was the need to be inclusive and have meaningful conversations with all involved prior to clinical research taking place, to build trust in how research tools are being advanced and used.

Dr Hanna Cowan, who has led the project said: “The ‘Utopia Now!’ project is all about ensuring that the ‘better worlds’ researchers try to create through their work is one that is genuinely seen as ‘better’ by young people – who will have to live in those future worlds. It was brilliant to see researchers at the event genuinely engage with young people’s hopes and concerns for the future that they so vividly presented in their work.”

               

 

You can discover all the creative outputs and the zine from the project on the ‘Utopia Now!’ website (https://www.utopianow.co.uk/ ).

‘Utopia Now!’ are continuing the conversation through a series of online blogs from young people and researchers responding to each other’s work. If you would like to be involved or have any other questions on the project please contact Hannah Cowan on hannah.cowan@kcl.ac.uk

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Study highlights need for vigilance for three months post COVID-19 infection for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes patients https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/05/study-highlights-need-for-vigilance-for-three-months-post-covid-19-infection-for-cardiovascular-diseases-and-diabetes-patients/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/05/study-highlights-need-for-vigilance-for-three-months-post-covid-19-infection-for-cardiovascular-diseases-and-diabetes-patients/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:24:57 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16575 Research supported by our National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) with our partners at King’s College London (KCL) has established that patients who contract COVID-19 face a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Researchers found risks to be higher in the three months following infection, and returns […]

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Research supported by our National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) with our partners at King’s College London (KCL) has established that patients who contract COVID-19 face a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Researchers found risks to be higher in the three months following infection, and returns to baseline after 23 weeks for diabetes, and seven weeks for cardiovascular diseases. This means there is not a long-term increase of risk for patients who contracted the virus.

King’s College London’s Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine and Director of the King’s BHF Centre of Research Excellence Professor Ajay Shah, said:

“The information provided by this very large population-based study on the longer-term effects of COVID-19 on development of cardiovascular conditions and diabetes will be extremely valuable to doctors managing the millions of people who have had COVID-19 by now. It is clear that particular vigilance is required for at least the first 3 months after COVID-19.”

In this new study, researchers investigated whether a sample of COVID-19 patients developed new cases of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at higher rates than a sample of people who have never had the disease in the year following infection.

They analysed anonymised medical records from more than 428,000 COVID-19 patients, and the same number of control individuals, matched by age, sex, and family practice.

The analysis showed that COVID-19 patients had 81% more diagnoses of diabetes in the first four weeks after contracting the virus and that their risk remained elevated by 27% for up to 12 weeks after infection.

COVID-19 was also associated with a six-fold increase in cardiovascular diagnoses overall, mainly due to the development blood clots in the lungs and irregular heartbeat. The risk of a new heart disease diagnosis began to decline five weeks after infection and returned to baseline levels or lower within 12 weeks to one year.

Based on these findings, researchers recommend that doctors advise their patients who are recovering from COVID-19 to reduce their risk of diabetes through a healthy diet and exercise.

Research Associate and the study’s lead author Emma Rezel-Potts added:

“Use of a large, national database of electronic health records from primary care has enabled us to characterise the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus during the acute and longer-term phases following Covid-19 infection. Whilst it is in the first four weeks that Covid-19 patients are most at risk of these outcomes, the risk of diabetes mellitus remains increased for at least 12 weeks. Clinical and public health interventions focusing on reducing diabetes risk among those recovering from Covid-19 over the longer-term may be very beneficial.”

This population-based study was recently published in PLOS Medicine.

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Lambeth Country Show 2022 – connecting our work with our communities. https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/04/lambeth-country-show-2022-connecting-our-work-with-our-community/ https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/2022/08/04/lambeth-country-show-2022-connecting-our-work-with-our-community/#respond Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:18:30 +0000 https://www.guysandstthomasbrc.nihr.ac.uk/?p=16558 We were delighted to be part of this year’s Lambeth Country Show in Brockwell Park, London. In addition to the Horticultural shows, entertainment plus an on-site farm, the clinical research teams from Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College London and the wider King’s Health Partners were there alongside the R&D and Trust’s public engagement teams […]

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We were delighted to be part of this year’s Lambeth Country Show in Brockwell Park, London. In addition to the Horticultural shows, entertainment plus an on-site farm, the clinical research teams from Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College London and the wider King’s Health Partners were there alongside the R&D and Trust’s public engagement teams to talk to members of the community about how our clinical research is improving treatments, how to get involved in clinical research and in shaping our work.

The event provided research teams with a great opportunity to highlight the broad range of clinical research that is currently taking place at the Trust. Guy’s and St Thomas’ teams were joined by colleagues from across King’s Health Partners who delivered engaging hands-on activities and spoke to our many visitors about their research. These ranged from discussing how to be part of dementia research; finding out about what Faecal Microbiota Transplants are and what being a healthy donor would involve; how to become part of our patient advisory groups; finding out more about the Re-Imagine prostate cancer study; right through to practical biomaterial slime-making workshops to recreate how biomaterials can be used to heal damaged tissue.

Our partners who facilitated talks / workshops included:

  • Neha Modha – NIHR Clinical Research Network South London
  • Saran Green – Guy’s and St Thomas’ Translational Oncology and Urology Research (TOUR) Team,
  • Ella Hubber – Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, King’s College London
  • Clarisse Ganier – Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine. King’s College London
  • Priyanka Bhosale – Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine. King’s College London
  • Mohammad Yadegarfa – School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London
  • Desiree Prossomariti – Faecal Microbiota Trials (Promise and Ferraro)

Reflecting on the success of our Research and Development Department’s participation at the show, Jessica Sells, Research and Development’s Patient and Public Engagement Manager, said:

“Being part of the Lambeth Country Show is just brilliant because it gives us the opportunity to truly connect with members of our community we wouldn’t usually reach and talk to them about the work we do. In lots of cases, with those conversations we’re able to break down myths, challenge preconceived ideas, and demonstrate that clinical research is something everyone can be a part of, in some shape or form. It was wonderful to see so many people taking such an interest, and I can’t wait to do it all again next year!”

The Lambeth Country Show welcomed over 160,000 people over the course of weekend, and a special thanks to the 200+ who came to visit our stand and made us feel so welcome. Everyone we met certainly left with a far greater understanding of just how broad and exciting the world of clinical research is.

For more information about this year’s Lambeth Country Show and to get an idea what to expect from next year’s event, please visit their website.

 

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