Tag: Clinical trials

User-centred design in diabetes technology development

In conversation with: Dr Parizad Avari, ST7 Registrar and Honorary Clinical Lecturer, working with Professor Nick Oliver in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College, London

What is your research project about and what stage are you at?

We are aiming to improve the lives of people living with Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition which requires lifelong insulin therapy. The Horizon 2020 PEPPER (Patient Empowerment through Predictive PERsonalised decision support) project is a personalised decision support system to support self-management. The PEPPER app was designed for people with type 1 diabetes to manage their condition by providing personalised advice about insulin dosage and carbohydrate intake through artificial intelligence.

Involving women to design and develop research into early-onset pre-eclampsia

This entry is part [part not set] of 0 in the series Case studies

In conversation with Olive Adams, Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Midwife working with Professor Christoph Lees and the research team based at the Centre for fetal care at Imperial Healthcare Trust and Women’s Health Research Centre at Imperial College London.

How would you describe your role as a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Midwife? 

My role as PPI midwife was specifically developed to ensure high quality public involvement activity was undertaken across all of Professor Lees upcoming projects within the Women’s Health Research Centre, including enabling involvement at the very  earliest stage of each study.

Are the statistics from Covid-19 vaccine trials understood?

Dr Suzie Cro, Research Fellow at the Imperial Clinical Trials Unit and the HEALTHY STATS public involvement group share insights from their recent online discussion of COVID-19 vaccines:

Right now, in the UK and across the world, vaccines for Covid-19 are being rolled out. You may have already received, or be expecting a vaccination offer sometime soon. Vaccines are thought to be our main hope to control the Covid-19 pandemic. Their use has only been possible following robust and rigorous clinical trials, which have demonstrated that they meet high safety and effectiveness standards set by the UK medicines regulator (the MHRA).

Involving those with lived experience of Anorexia Nervosa in clinical trial design

This entry is part [part not set] of 0 in the series Case studies

In conversation with: Dr Meg Spriggs (Research Associate) and Hannah Douglass (PhD Candidate)Centre for Psychedelic Research, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College, London

Working in collaboration with:  Dr Kirsty Alderton and Dr Frederico Magalhaes who offered mental health support for these focus groups.

What did you do?

There is a current lack of effective treatments for anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder characterised by weight loss, difficulties maintaining weight, and often a preoccupation with one’s own body weight and shape). With fewer than half of those diagnosed with anorexia making a full recovery, there is a desperate need for new treatment avenues to be explored.