BU Research Blog

The final version of the FP7 2013 Health Work Programme will be published in early July 2012, and at the same time two calls for proposals (INNOVATION 1 and 2) are expected to be launched with deadlines in late September and early October 2012. These calls will mark the last opportunity to bid for FP7 funding under the Health theme and no further calls are expected to be issued until the start of Horizon 2020 in 2014.

UKRO have provided some excellent tips for those interested in taking up this last opportunity under FP7 with some hints and tips for preparing for their submissions on their website.

12 April 2012

FP7 Health: Virtual Match Making Event

The European Commission funded project “Fit for Health” is organising a virtual match-making event where an “intensive match-making” process is offered. Between 7 and 11 May, the Fit for Health expert network will perform an “intensive match-making” process: this means that they will assist each participant registered in their database to find relevant partners. In order to participate in the virtual match-making registration in the Fit for Health partnering database is required. This is free of charge.

21 March 2012

International partnering event for research and innovation in health and agrofood

An international partnering event for research projects in the FP7 Health and Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnologies (FAFB, also known as Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy or KBBE) themes will take place in Basel, Switzerland, on 26 and 27 June 2012. The partnering event offers an opportunity for UK researchers to meet potential European partners in order to set up projects and build consortia for the final FP7 Health and KBBE calls (which are expected to be published in around mid-July 2012).

Participants can register on the event website and submit a profile describing an offer or request, then all the participants’ profiles will be assessed and published on the site. The online catalogue can then be consulted and meetings booked with other participants. Prior to the event, each participant will receive an individual meeting schedule.

The programme includes company visits, a networking dinner plenary session on research and innovation issues in the life sciences, parallel pitch presentation of companies in health and agro-food and pre-arranged partnering meetings. The event is organised by the Euresearch organisation in Switzerland, along with the Fit for Health and BIO-Net networks and the Enterprise Europe Network.

12 March 2012

Looking for FP7 Health partners or attending an infoday? Then this is unmissable!

Fit for Health and Health-NCP-Net are organising a partnering event in Brussels on 30.05.12 for the next FP7 Health Call for Proposals, due to be published in July 2012.

The main aim of the event is to facilitate consortium building for future bids to the FP7 Health Theme. The day will mainly consist of bilateral meetings which will be arranged between groups interested in the same topics of the forthcoming FP7 Health Call for Proposals.

The European Commission will also hold an infoday on the Call the day before the brokerage event on 29.05.12 which is essential for finding out more about the Call and meeting potential partners.

6 March 2012

Presentations from the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) infoday are now available online.

The infoday was organised on the IMI Call for Proposals on the topic “European Lead Factory: Joint European compound library and screening centre”.

Presentations included an update on the revised IMI Strategic Research Agenda and IMI rules and procedures. Among the changes in the rules are:
•the new option for using real indirect costs in addition to the option of the 20% indirect cost flat rate;
•average or actual personnel costs can be used;
•Certificates on the Financial Statements (CFS) are now only due once a threshold of EUR 375,000 is reached;
•and periodic reports are now either due in July or December each year.
A presentation was also given on how to write a successful IMI proposal. This included general advice and participants were taken through the most common mistakes made in previous rounds.

21 February 2012

Likely calls to be released under Health, Environment and Science in Society FP7 themes

The Work Programmes are still being finalised and due for release in July, but I have obtained information about some of the likely calls that may come out.

I am excited that one of the areas I have info on is the new Science in Society theme. I also have updated information on the FP7 Health theme and also an update on the FP7 Environment theme which also has the anticipated date for the Information Day- the key opportunity to find partners and discover more about the calls for proposals.

This information is highly confidential and for this reason has been placed on our I drive. You can access this and info on the other likely calls in different thematic areas here: I:\R&KEO\Public\RDU\Draft Work Programmes for 2012-13 . The information is to be treated with caution as it is based on draft documentation and is for BU staff only; this is not for circulation.

Reading likely areas of funding in FP7 is critical as it gives you months of extra preparatory time and a fantastic head start on writing your proposal. If you are thinking of making a submission, send me an email and I can help you pull your application together.

20 February 2012

My EUNF success

My EUNF application relates to one aspect of a program of research that is in the early stages of development. Over the past few years I have been working with a colleague on the development a theoretical framework that describes how people adapt to living with HIV. Named the ‘Theory of Negotiating Uncertainty’, it is a potentially important clinical assessment theory that promises significant social benefit for people living with a wide variety of chronic conditions (such as HIV, sickle cell disease, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis, congestive cardiac failure, asymptomatic genetic predispositions to a variety of disorders such as breast cancer). Concurrent developments of the theory include multi- and cross-cultural testing and the construction of an assessment tool that can be used to assess how people cope with clinical uncertainty that in turn creates significant threats to wellbeing and quality of life. Psychological and other therapeutic interventions can be initiated for those who are found to be unable to effectively negotiate the uncertainty of their lives, thus ultimately improving wellbeing and quality of life.

Being the recipient of an EU Network Fund award will allow me to explore the possibility of replicating the initial study in a different cultural environment. To this end, I will be meeting with a wide range of potential collaborators and key university and hospital contacts in Crete and Athens, Greece. In May of this year I will travel to meet Dr A Stavropoulou (Assistant Professor, TEI Crete), Dr T Stroubouki (Senior Lecturer, TEI, Athens) and P Papatheodorou (Deputy Head Nurse, Andreas Syggros Hospital, Athens; the clinical base for the project). Meetings with key administrative and support personnel in TEI Athens and Crete will include representatives from the Departments of Public & International Relations, Departments of Research and Development Projects, the Presidents of TEI in Crete and Athens and the Directors of the Departments of Nursing; and finally the Directors of Medicine, Nursing and Research, Syggros Hospital, Athens. Having the opportunity to meet face-to-face will strengthen the research team and collaborative possibilities and facilitate the subsequent research activity by creating trusting working relationships in which decisions can be taken and research conducted with confidence.

This project sits firmly in the Health, Well-being and Ageing ‘BU Research Theme’ and is solidly placed to contribute towards the HSC research sub-themes. There may also be scope to ultimately involve individuals from other schools in BU.

15 February 2012

FP7 ICT: Ambient Assisted Living Call Pre-Announcement and Info Day

The Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Association has announced that it expects the fifth Call for proposals of the AAL Joint Programme to open at the end of February. The fifth Call for proposals of the AAL Joint Programme: ICT-based Solutions for (Self) Management of Daily Life Activities of Older Adults at Home is expected to open at the end of February with a submission deadline of the end of May. AAL JP Call 5 aims to support development of ICT-based solutions which enable and sustain older adults to continue managing their daily activities in their home, as well as ICT-based solutions which support informal carers in their assistance.

An information day is planned to take place on 13 March 2012 in Brussels. Potential proposers who wish to attend should register their interest by sending an e-mail to Jacqueline.Teller@aal-europe.eu before 24 February 2012.
The AAL association also offers an online partner search facility for those seeking partners for potential projects.

9 February 2012

Health, Wellbeing and Ageing – First Community Meeting

Heather Hartwell

Dear all,

Our first community meeting will be held on March 7^th 10am – 1pm at the EBC, third floor. This is everyone’s opportunity to shape and frame the direction of the theme and therefore I would like to actively encourage everyone to attend.

I would also like to extend this invitation to all the post-grad students who have signed up; your input will be most valuable.

We have a lovely lunch booked

There are some key questions that we need to answer:

Why it is important to society?

What BU has done to make improvements in this area?

What expertise and knowledge BU can provide for future collaborators, commercial partners, etc?

Your feedback would be really helpful and if you could email me your comments that would be brilliant: hhartwell@bournemouth.ac.uk

With many thanks and see you in March,

Heather, Edwin, Holgar and Carol

3 February 2012

Miss the FP7 Health Programme Infoday? Don’t worry, slides are available!

The Infoday was organised by the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) who manages the Health Programme on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO). Presentations made on the day include advice on administrative procedures and the technical contents of the Call which is open until 9 March 2012. A video and slides of presentations held at a recent Infoday on the 2012 Call for Proposals for the Health Programme (2008-2013) are available here.

2 February 2012

Health & Humanities EU funding available over the next few weeks….

REF Subjects, Research themes Peter Wallace

Sexual Transmission of HIV within Migrant Groups: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published a call for tenders regarding the sexual transmission of HIV within migrant groups and implications for effective interventions.The overall scope and objective of this call for tender is to undertake a systematic literature review complemented with a short survey to Member States, on the subject of sexual transmission of HIV in the EU/EEA in populations of migrants from countries with generalised HIV epidemics. Based on the data gathered, implications and recommendations for HIV prevention strategies and programmes within the EU/EEA should be discussed. The deadline for submitting tenders is 21 February.

Entrepreneurship Education: The European Commission has launched a call for proposals for entrepreneurship education. This call aims to support the implementation of principle 1 of the Small Business Act and the Oslo Agenda for Entrepreneurship Education in Europe. The Small Business Act recommends stimulating innovative and entrepreneurial mindsets among young people by introducing entrepreneurship as a key competence in school curricula and ensuring that the importance of entrepreneurship is correctly reflected in teacher training. Consequently, the objective of this call is to promote projects with a high added value at European level in education for entrepreneurship. Actions will target teachers and young people in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Applications must be sent to the Commission no later than 16 April 2012.

Systematic Reviews of Environmental Determinants of Infectious Diseases: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published a call for tenders for the provision of systematic reviews of environmental determinants of infectious diseases. The aim is to systematically review the evidence for environmental determinants of infectious diseases both on an ecologic as well as an individual level. The deadline for submitting tenders is 6 March 2012.

Attribution of Social Policies on the Infectious Disease Burden: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published a call for tenders for the attribution of social policies on the infectious disease burden. The objective of this study is to disentangle the different contributions of government policies on the infectious disease burden in society. Specifically, the goal is to identify aetiologic pathways of socio-economic inequalities and their impact on infectious diseases. Ultimately the aim is to inform policymakers about interventions that have a direct impact on infectious diseases. The deadline for submitting tenders is 6 March 2012.

30 January 2012

Assessing societal impact of social work research

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the new assessment method for publically funded research in universities. Its controversial new ‘impact’ element rates work based on evidence of social, economic or cultural benefits generated from it. But how easily can such things be quantified, particularly in applied academic subjects like social work?

Professors Jonathan Parker and Edwin van Teijlingen from Bournemouth University have addressed these questions in their paper ‘The Research Excellence Framework (REF): Assessing the Impact of Social Work Research on Society’, published in Practice: Social Work in Action.

They argue that ‘the framework raises doubts about whether it is possible to capture fully the impact of social work research at all, and social work itself for that matter’, and stress that some pathways need to be identified to do this.

In suggesting ways to evidence impact, such as primary evaluative research, Parker and Van Teijlingen also outline the stumbling blocks. There are data protection laws and the expense and time of tying up research evaluation with another research project.

The solution, they say, is for social work research to be built and undertaken in partnership with social care agencies; that impact is everybody’s concern and practitioners and those who use social work services and their carers have a role to play in its creation and identification.

Parker and Van Teijlingen acknowledge that the REF will promote critical-thinking, engage practitioners and address the challenges of public spending restraint, but express a deep-seated concern that this new method of assessment will mark a loss of ‘conceptual, theoretical and critical’ research.

Although assessing research through improved social, economic, health, and environmental aspects of life is unlikely to be questioned, Parker and Van Teijlingen strongly argue that it should not be the only set of research outcomes recognised. They argue that if the REF approach becomes common currency, ‘society is likely to lose the deeper understandings and meanings that have permeated thinking and, no doubt practice and behaviour.’

Both firmly believe BU’s research programme designed to enhance social work practice through continuing professional education has changed practice and influenced policy, as well as numerous other benefits to culture, public services, health, environment and quality of life.

Read Parker and Van Teijlingen’s full paper.

23 January 2012

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) Consultancy Service

Louise Ward

What is the Consultancy Service?

BUCRU has developed a consultancy service aimed at organisations that have an interest in health and wellbeing. Members of the team have many years experience of providing consultation services to the NHS, public bodies, charities and businesses. In addition to research projects we can also advise on audit projects, clinical evaluations, service evaluations and other areas where the collection and analysis of good quality data is important.

How can it help?

The service is flexible and tailored to the client’s requirements. Typically an initial meeting will involve finding out about the client’s needs and discussing the ways in which we can help. Our involvement could range from a single meeting to discuss a particular issue, through to conducting a project on behalf of the client.

Some examples are:

¨ Advising on or conducting clinical trials, surveys, epidemiological studies, pilot and feasibility studies

¨ Study design

¨ Advice on sample size

¨ Questionnaire design and validation

¨ Outcome measures

¨ Data collection and management

¨ Statistical analysis and interpretation

¨ Qualitative and mixed methods approaches

¨ Design and evaluation of complex interventions such as found in medicine, psychology, nursing, physiotherapy and so on.

¨ Managing and running studies

¨ Advice on ethics and governance approval processes.

¨ Involving patients and the public in research

¨ Troubleshooting

How do I find out more?

For further information about, and access to, our consultancy service please contact:

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

Tel: 01202 961939

Funding opportunities Louise Ward

23 January 2012

Research within the Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

In previous blogs we have described how BUCRU can help in developing grant applications. In this blog we describe some of the funded projects we are involved in.

BUCRU led research

Fatigue management in multiple sclerosis (MS): We have just completed a multi-centre randomised trial of a cognitive behavioural approach to fatigue management in people with multiple sclerosis¹. This project was funded by the MS Society (http://www.mssociety.org.uk).

Improving activity and wellbeing in people with MS: We are just starting a MS Society funded pilot study to look at the Nintendo Wii home gaming system as a method of helping people with MS increase their activity levels and wellbeing.

Systematic review of psychological interventions for people with MS: A small grant to update our existing Cochrane review²

BUCRU collaborative projects

IDvIP: A National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) (http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/RfPB/Pages/home.aspx) funded project. This is a multi-centre trial comparing 2 methods of pain relief for women in labour; diamorphine and pethidine³. The Chief Investigator is a Consultant in one of the local hospitals and a member of the Bournemouth University Visiting Faculty. BUCRU staff were involved in the design of the study, applying for the grant, data management, statistical analysis and interpretation, and advice on project management.*

WEIGHTED: A small grant from the College of Emergency Medicine held by a local Consultant/ member of the Visiting Faculty. This study is about to start and aims to develop a robust method of estimating the weight of patients attending a hospital emergency department. Many patients require a weight dependent dose of potentially life saving medication, but are too ill to be actually weighed. BUCRU were involved in designing the study and securing funding, and will be involved in ongoing advice on project and data management, statistical analysis and interpretation.

PEARLS: A large multi-centre trial of training maternity staff in assessing and repairing tears to the perineum acquired during labour and delievery⁴. This project is funded by the Health Foundation (http://www.health.org.uk) and run under the auspices of the Royal College of Midwives. BUCRU has been involved in data management, statistical analysis and interpretation.

PREVIEW: A pilot randomised trial comparing two methods of looking after tears to the perineum. The Chief Investigator is based in Birmingham, and the study is funded by the NIHR RfPB funding scheme. This study has recently started, and BUCRU was involved in the design of the study and the funding application. Further involvement will be in advising on project management, data management and statistical analysis.

Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship: (http://www.nihrtcc.nhs.uk). Award held by BU and won by a radiographer based at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. The project involves tracking and measuring spinal motion. The research may have important implications in diagnosing people with chronic lower back pain. BUCRU were involved in the study design and funding application, and 2 members of staff are supervisors for her PhD.

Contact us:

In the first instance please contact

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

Tel: 01202 961939

Funding opportunities Louise Ward

1 Thomas, P.W., Thomas, S., Kersten, P., Jones, R., Nock, A., Slingsby, V., et al., 2010. Multi-centre parallel arm randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a group-based cognitive behavioural appoach to managing fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis. BMC Neurology, 10:43

2 Thomas, P.W., Thomas, S., Hillier, C., Galvin, K., and Baker, R. (2006). Psychological interventions for multiple sclerosis. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Vol. Issue 1, pp. Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004431. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004431.pub2): John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

3 Wee, M.Y.K., Tuckey, J.P., Thomas, P., Burnard, S. 2011. The IDvIP Trial: A two-centre randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing intramuscular diamorphine and intramuscular pethidine for labour analgesia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 11: 51

4 Bick, D.E., Kettle, C., MacDonald, S., Thomas, P.W., Hill, R.K., Ismail, K.. 2010. PErineal Assessment and Repair Longitudinal Study (PEARLS): protocol for a matched pair cluster trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 10:10.

19 January 2012

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) Events and Services

BUCRU incorporates the Dorset Office of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Service – South West (RDS-SW). This means that in addition to the support outlined in previous blogs, we can also provide access to the following:

RDS Grant application workshop.

This workshop is going to be held at Bournemouth University on the 29^th February 2012 (http://www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/grant_workshop.htm). Although the official deadline for applying has recently passed, it is worth contacting us to see if there are any remaining places. The workshop will also be held in other locations in the South-West region in the near future.

This is a one-day workshop for researchers who are developing proposals with the intention of applying for a grant. The workshop does not provide detailed training in research methodology; rather it more generally covers the full range of issues inherent in developing a successful grant application. It will be of relevance to researchers applying to any of the major health research funders, but particularly the NIHR funding schemes.

Researchers will need to send in advance the latest draft of their research proposal. As a minimum they should have a plan for a project but, ideally, a worked up proposal, perhaps even one that has been previously rejected. All proposals will receive detailed written feedback from the RDS team.

Topics include

The application as a marketing document, selling the topic, selling the method, and selling the team;
The balanced team;
Clarity of description and explanation;
Feasibility issues;
Identifying and avoiding potential pitfalls

RDS Residential Research Retreat

The Residential Research Retreat (http://www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/rrr_home.htm) provides an opportunity for research teams to develop high quality health related research proposals suitable for submission to national peer-reviewed funding schemes. The aim of the Retreat is to provide the environment and support to promote rapid progress in developing proposals over a relatively short time period.

This Research Retreat is open to health professionals and academics working within the South West. Applications to attend the Retreat should be submitted by a team of three people with varied skills. Applications are reviewed competitively and places awarded to the most promising team proposals. The deadline for the next Research Retreat has passed, but it is anticipated that applications will be invited again later in the year.

At the retreat participants are supported by a range of experts while developing their research proposal. They work intensively on their proposal, while learning how to maximise its chances for successfully securing a grant.

In addition, the Residential Research Retreat helps participants develop the key skills needed to conduct research in a clinical setting as well as nurturing presentation skills and giving them the confidence to tackle research problems.

RDS Scientific Committee

The RDS Scientific Committee (http://www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/scientific_committee.htm) provides an excellent opportunity for researchers in the south-west to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before it is sent to a funding body. The Committee brings the benefit of seeing the proposal with “fresh eyes”, replicating as far as possible the way the real funding committee will consider the application. Committee members include senior research consultants who have considerable experience of obtaining research funding, resulting in comprehensive comments and advice fed back.

Committee meetings take place approximately 9 times per year. To submit a study for review at the meeting, study paperwork must be provided to the Committee via BUCRU two weeks prior to the meeting date, and preferably a couple of months before the intended funding deadline.

Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education (CoPMRE) Annual Symposium

In addition to events aimed at supporting the development of grant applications we also host an event geared towards dissemination. The CoPMRE Annual Symposium will be held on the 11^th September 2012 at the Bournemouth University Talbot Campus. These successful annual conferences have been running for the past nine years and have featured themes such as ‘Professionalism and Collaboration’, ’Research Innovation’ and ‘Interprofessional Learning’. This year’s theme will be on using ‘Social media techniques in healthcare research and education’. The conference is open to all healthcare professionals and academics. More information will be posted on our website in due course and you will be able to register online nearer the time. For further information on the symposium please contact Audrey Dixon, Conference Manager (adixon@bournemouth.ac.uk ).

Contact us: For further information about, and access to, the Grant applications workshop, the Residential Research Retreat and the Scientific Committee please contact:

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

Tel: 01202 961939

Awarded & submitted bids, Funding opportunities, Post-award, Publishing, Research assessment Louise Ward

18 January 2012

BUCRU – Supporting the development of grant applications

In today’s post we give a case study of how Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) recently supported the development of a grant application.

Case study

We recently supported a Programme Development Grant (www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/PGfAR/PDG/Pages/default.aspx) application to the National Health Service (NHS) National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Unit receives funding from the NIHR to be the Dorset Office of the NIHR Research Design Service (RDS), and thus can support local researchers in the University and the NHS to develop their funding applications. The topic of this grant application was early warning systems for use in an obstetric setting. Early warning systems are used by clinical staff in hospital to identify clinical problems before they get too serious, for example by regularly monitoring vital signs such as blood pressure. The purpose of Programme Development Grants is to fund preliminary work ahead of a larger Programme Grant for Applied Research (PGAR; www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/PGfAR/Pages/Home.aspx).

This support involved:

Providing methodological input in systematic reviews, surveys, qualitative designs, quantitative designs notably a sample size calculation, and trial design.
Patient and public involvement (PPI) – the team has a designated person supporting PPI.
Team development – a strong team needed to be developed with the appropriate skill mix to deliver the programme of research. Four members of BUCRU became co-applicants on the proposal bringing methodological expertise in systematic reviews, qualitative research, quantitative research, and PPI support. Via our link with the RDS we also have access to health economist support. Collaborations were initiated with the Wessex Health Innovation and Education Cluster (HIEC; www.wessexhiecpartnership.org.uk/) to gain support in the educational/ training aspects of the research.
Liaison – we liaised with a number of different organisations, such as Research and Knowledge Exchange Operations for costing the Bournemouth University (BU) costs, the NHS host organisation that will be responsible for the research, and the Market Research Group (MRG; https://mrg.bournemouth.ac.uk/) who were involved to support the administration and data entry for the survey component of the project.
Identification of appropriate funding schemes.
Obtained peer review from RDS colleagues across the region to provide feedback on the suitability of the funding scheme and the ‘readiness’ for submission. This service is usually provided through regular Scientific Committee meetings that act as ‘mock’ funding committees (www.rds-sw.nihr.ac.uk/scientific_committee.htm).

Quote from lead applicant: “Without the expertise and assistance of BUCRU staff it would not have been possible to even contemplate applying for a large and competitive grant such as the NIHR Programme Development Grant” .

Please contact us for support with health research:

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

Tel: 01202 961939

Awarded & submitted bids, Post-award, Publishing, Research assessment Louise Ward

17 January 2012

People at Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU)

In yesterday’s posting we gave a brief introduction to BUCRU. Today we introduce you to the members of the team.

Louise Ward

Louise is one of the administrators for the unit and has been with the team since 2008. She has worked in various NHS settings and has an interest in marketing. Both her undergraduate and Masters degrees were studied here at Bournemouth University.

Professor Paul Thompson

Paul is Consultant Rheumatologist at Poole Hospitaland Visiting Professor at BU. He was appointed Director of the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education (CoPMRE) in 2007, where he has been leading developments between research and education active doctors in NHS Trusts and the academic community at the University. He is Co-director of BUCRU, Lead for the musculoskeletal local priority group for the Western Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN) and Fellow of the NHS Improvement Faculty. He is interested in clinical research and service development in the rheumatic diseases. He supervises PhD students and is an External Examiner at other Universities.

Dr Sarah Thomas

Sarah is Deputy Director (methodology). She has a background in psychology and since 2000 has worked in the NHS in Dorset. As well as supporting other researchers in a Research Design Service capacity, she also conducts research. Her main research interests are in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) and she is currently Chief Investigator for a pilot study funded by the UK MS Society exploring the use of the Nintendo Wii™ in people with MS.

Professor Peter Thomas

Peter is Co-Director and leads on research methodology. He has a background in epidemiology and statistics, and has been with Bournemouth University since 1996. He has a special research interest in psychosocial aspects of chronic disease and much of his recent work has focussed on multiple sclerosis.

Dr Zoe Sheppard

Zoe is a demographer with particular experience investigating socio-economic status. She joined Bournemouth University in October 2009 as a Research Fellow in Research Methods. She provides research methods support for people doing health research and support writing grant applications in her National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Service (RDS) capacity.

Suzanne Sheppard

Suzanne is a Clinical Researcher recently recruited from the pharmaceutical industry to help manage the unit’s clinical trials. She has experience in setting-up and monitoring clinical trials across phases 1 to 3 in a variety of therapeutic areas.

Annabel Kenny

Annabel is a Clinical Research Administrator who joined Bournemouth University in October 2009. She provides support to Dr. Tamas Hickish, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Royal Bournemouth Hospital/Poole Hospital and the rest of the research team on various ongoing research projects within the Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit.

Liz Griffiths

Liz works for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital as a research facilitator. She has been working in research within the NHS since 2003 in a variety of roles. Currently focusing on supporting researchers to develop proposals and prepare submissions to regulatory authorities.

Louise Fazakarley

Louise is a Physiotherapy lecturer with experience in neurological rehabilitation, the management of chronic disability and rehabilitation research. She joined Bournemouth University in 2006 to establish and teach on the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy course. Louise is currently working on the MS Society funded pilot study to look at the Nintendo Wii™ as a method of helping people with MS increase their physical activity.

Audrey Dixon

Audrey is the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education (CoPMRE) co-ordinator and co-administrator for BUCRU. She has worked for the NHS since 1988. She first joined Professor Paul Thompson in 2001 to assist him with his academic work, following his secondment to the university. Audrey was seconded to BU in 2003. She now looks after a growing Visiting Faculty of 41 members and the education arm of CoPMRE. She is very proud to see the little acorn grow into a Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education and BUCRU.

Roger Baker

Roger is Professor of Clinical Psychology and runs the MSc course Foundations in Clinical Psychology at BU. He is also a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust. He has expertise in the design of assessments and questionnaires, research design and clinical evaluation of services and has worked in a dual role as researcher and clinical psychologist at Leeds, Aberdeen & Bournemouth Universities and in NHS Trusts specialising in Mental Health.

Helen Allen

Helen is a health psychologist with a nursing and midwifery background. She has a qualitative background with a particular interest in the mind:body interface and chronic disease, including patient empowerment. She is the Unit lead on Public Patient Involvement.

Contact us: In the first instance please contact:

Louise Ward (administrator):

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

R505 Royal London House

Christchurch Road

Bournemouth BH1 3LT

Tel: 01202 961939