Current studies at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
Current studies
Research at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Accordion
Perioperative Quality Improvement Programme (PQIP)
Summary – The Perioperative Quality Improvement Programme (PQIP) is an exciting and novel project being piloted in the NHS. Our aim is to improve the care and treatment of patients undergoing major surgery in the United Kingdom.
Local Principal Investigator – Dr Sinan Bahlool
Website – PQIP
SINFONIA trial
Summary – To determine whether sugammadex is superior to neostigmine after elective or emergency major abdominal or non-cardiac thoracic surgery in terms of days alive and out of hospital at 30 days
Principal Investigator – Dr Judith Highgate
Website – Trial overview
ORION 4
Summary – a clinical trial testing whether a new medicine called inclisiran prevents heart attacks and strokes.
Local Principal Investigator – Dr Katarzyna Dickinson
Website – ORION 4
SIGNET will be the largest randomised controlled trial in organ donation. The trial will evaluate the benefits of Simvastatin given to organ donors on outcomes in organ recipients.
Summary – Statins in Organ Donor Management An evaluation of the benefits of a single dose of Simvastatin given to potential organ donors declared dead by neurological criteria on outcomes in organ recipients
Website – SIGNET
Local Principal Investigator – Dr Sinan Bahlool
A UK-wide service that makes it easy for anyone to take part in vital dementia research. Anyone over 18 can sign up, whether you have dementia or not.
Simply register your details and a researcher will be in touch when an appropriate study becomes available. You can decide whether to take part in individual studies, with no obligation.
Website – Join Dementia Research
MINDER study
Summary – Minder is an award winning study that aims to improve the lives of people with dementia.
Principal Investigator – Jo-Anne Taylor
Website – MINDER study
BADBIR study
Summary – The purpose of the research study is to assess whether new biologic or immunomodulator treatments (such as Benepali, Cosentyx, Taltz, Humira, Stelara) used in the treatment of psoriasis have a greater risk of serious side effects or long term health problems than established treatments such as ciclosporin, methotrexate and PUVA.
Principal Investigator – Dr Noor Alwash
Website – BADBIR
MyMelanoma
Summary – MyMelanoma is recruiting 20,000 melanoma patients to join the largest study of melanoma ever performed. A study designed to answer the most important current questions about melanoma and its treatment.
Website – MyMelanoma
The DRAFT3-CASP Study
Summary – This study aims to compare two treatment methods that are currently standard care for treating wrist fractures
Principal Investigator – Dr Kavitha Anoop
Website – The DRAFT3-CASP Study
Targeting Immune Pathways
Summary – The immune system is a network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to defend the body against infection. Over 70% of the immune system is based in the gastrointestinal tract where it plays a major role in a complex interaction with trillions of microbes to maintain health. The breakdown of this interaction leads to diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and contributes to many others including colorectal cancer.
We work on the nature of intestinal immune responses in health including diseases such as IBD and in the inflammation associated with some gastrointestinal cancers. We have used modern single cell technologies to redefine the cells of the human intestine (3). These technologies allow us to build a map of rare intestinal tissue cells in health and disease. Using this approach, we have discovered novel non-uniformity between various cell types and have then compared how these new cell types change to drive disease. We’ve also defined transcription factors and surface markers that enable these cells to be knocked out for studies in model systems and defined key cellular changes demonstrating new avenues for therapeutic targeting in this disease.
Around 40% of patients fail to respond or adequately respond to available immunotherapies. In this work, we will build on our previous findings to explore how the immune system is imbalanced in chronic inflammation associated colorectal cancer. This study will create an atlas of rare human intestinal cells and will highlight pathways that drive inflammation in early disease compared to chronic unresponsive disease. Based on this information we will generate disease identifiers capable of indicating inflammation or responsiveness to particular therapies. In addition, we will generate novel drug targets for those with unresponsive IBD and colorectal cancer.
Local Principal Investigator – Judith Tidbury
OBS UK Study
Summary – Heavy bleeding during and after birth is the most common problem when giving birth to a baby. We have created a new way of managing heavy bleeding during and after childbirth (called the OBS UK care bundle). This care bundle helps to recognise bleeding early and to standardise the treatment of heavy bleeding during childbirth. When this package of care was introduced in Wales, we found that the number of women and birthing people who needed a blood transfusion was reduced and that fewer had very large bleeds. We now need to run this larger study to see whether the improvements seen in Wales can be seen across the wider NHS. If the OBS UK care bundle is shown to make a big improvement to outcomes, then it may advise the new UK standard guidance for dealing with heavy bleeding during and after childbirth.
Principal Investigator – Dr Seema Pai
Website – OBSUK Study
MND Register for England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Summary – Every single person with motor neurone disease (MND) can help the global effort to find causes, treatments and ultimately a cure for MND. By allowing us to collect your data your details will become part of the big picture, helping researchers focus their knowledge and expertise in the right areas.
Principal Investigator – Simon Wilson
Website – MND Register | MND Association
MS Register
Summary – How many people in the UK are living with MS? How do the different types of MS affect different people? Are there regional differences in how people with MS receive treatment?
Currently, the answers to these fundamental questions are largely unknown. With an estimated 100,000 people living with MS in the UK, more data needs to be gathered about the physical, environmental and social effects for people and carers affected by the condition.
Principal Investigator – Janet Sinclair
Website – MS Register
NHS Cancer Vaccine Launchpad (NHS CVLP)
Summary – The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform that will speed up access to messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials for people who have been diagnosed with cancer. It will also accelerate the development of cancer vaccines as a form of cancer treatment.
Principal Investigator – Dr Aspasia Soultati
Website – NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad
Study Title – The impact of psychological stress on cancer burden and recurrence in ovarian cancer
Summary – The treatment of advanced ovarian cancer uses therapies to extend the amount of time before requiring more treatment. In the first instance, this is through a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. There is evidence to suggest that stress may have a part to play in weakening the immune system and changing the behaviour of the disease. We would like to explore this further by following the stress levels of women during treatment and follow up for ovarian cancer.
Local Principal Investigator – Dr Kate Lankester
Website – University of Brighton
UK Adult ITP Registry
Summary – Aim is to collect clinical information (age at onset, bleeding symptoms, treatments given and responses), standard lab tests, and investigational assays. All this information will be analysed looking for associations between the presence of genetic variations and (i) development of ITP, (ii) responses to treatment, (iii) severity of ITP and several other parameters.
Principal Investigator – Dr Anna Cowley
Website – UK Adult ITP Registry
DUALITY
Summary – Dual mobility versus standard articulation total hip replacement in the treatment of older adults with a hip fracture.
Local Principal Investigator – Mr Christopher Buckle
The PART Trial
Summary – The clinical and cost-effectiveness of elective primary total knee replacement with PAtellar Resurfacing compared to selective patellar resurfacing. A pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled Trial with blinding (PART)
Principal Investigator – Mr Christopher Buckle
Website – PART – Bristol Trials Centre
Study Title – BASE trial
Summary – looking at the use of sodium bicarbonate for metabolic acidosis in very preterm babies
Principal Investigator – Dr Mani Kandasamy
Website – BASE | NPEU
SPIROmetry to Manage Asthma in Children
Summary – The SPIROMAC study will see if a breathing test called spirometry every three months can help prevent asthma attacks.
Principal Investigator – Dr Oana Anton
Website – SPIROMAC
Genetics of susceptibility and mortality in critical care (GenOMICC)
Summary – Infectious diseases and severe injuries affect millions of people around the world every year. Most cases are mild, but some people become very unwell. Our genes (or DNA) determine how vulnerable we are to critical illness. If we could find the genes that cause some people to be more vulnerable, we may be able to develop better treatments for patients in the future.
Local Principal Investigator – Dr Judith Highgate
Website – GenOMICC
ASPECT trial
Summary – The ASPECT Study is a Randomised Controlled Trial, or RCT. It is investigating whether aspirin reduces the risk of a heart attack or stroke in patients who are admitted to hospital with pneumonia.
Principal Investigator – Dr Thereza Christopherson
PhEAST study
Summary – To assess whether Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation (PES) is safe and effective at improving post-stroke dysphagia (PSD).
Principal Investigator – Sarah Underwood
Website – PhEAST
TICH-3 trial
Summary – To assess the clinical effectiveness of TXA after ICH and determine whether TXA should be used in clinical practice.
Principal Investigator – Dr Chemindra Biyanwila
Website – TICH-3
The EXTEND trial
Summary – EXTENDed antibiotics to improve outcomes in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection.
Local Principal Investigator – Mr Yesar El-Dhuwaib
Website – The EXTEND trial