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Issue 20
Welcome to the latest edition of the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) newsletter. We’re delighted to bring you a fresh round-up of recent news, research highlights, and partner updates all in one place. Stay connected with the latest from our research community.
Neurodiversity takes centre stage at Oxford’s first conference
Recently our first Neurodiversity Conference was a sold-out event, uniting researchers, clinicians, local organisations, and the neurodivergent community. The two-day conference was a great success, fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and practical support, with neuro-affirmative measures ensuring accessibility and meaningful engagement for all attendees. Congratulations to all involved!
Celebrating research excellence on World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day was celebrated recently by showcasing the breadth of research across Oxford Health’s R&D infrastructures, from sleep and digital therapies to dementia and depression. We highlighted how cross-infrastructure efforts across OHFT, from the Trust and our BRC to the OH Clinical Research Facility (OH CRF) and the NIHR MH-TRC Mission drive innovation into practice, improve lives, and reflect our commitment to excellence in mental health research. across the Trust.
New ultrasound helmet enables deep brain stimulation in people without surgery
An ultrasound device that can precisely stimulate areas deep in the brain without surgery has been developed by researchers, opening up new possibilities for neurological research and treatment. Deep brain stimulation, a standard treatment for some brain conditions, requires surgery and carries risks. The new ultrasound system offers a non-invasive alternative with comparable precision, potentially allowing clinicians to test areas of the brain before surgery or even replace surgical approaches altogether.
An Oxford academic paper that suggests current sleep scoring criteria may lead to biased results between sexes, and across age groups, has been brought back into the spotlight with a recent editorial and podcast. The original paper highlights how current sleep scoring criteria, largely based on data from a small group of young males in the 1960s, may misrepresent sleep architecture in females and older adults.
Count Me In – A New Chapter for Research at Oxford Health
Count Me In, due to launch soon at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, will enable research teams to contact eligible patients about research opportunities, boosting inclusivity and recruitment. This approach eases clinician workload, accelerates recruitment, and ensures more diverse participation for better, evidence-based care.
Study finds socioeconomic inequalities in children’s mental health are evident by age five
Research has found that socioeconomic inequalities in children’s mental health are evident by age five and persist throughout childhood and adolescence. The study analysed how types of mental health difficulties manifest across childhood and adolescence, and how patterns are shaped by early life socioeconomic disadvantage. The team found that while different types of mental health difficulties vary by age and sex, the gap between more and less advantaged children remains stable across time.
New paper reveals what the NHS can learn from private research delivery organisations
Research highlights that private clinical research organisations (CROs) are increasingly chosen by both industry and research participants for mental health clinical trials, citing faster study set-up times, a flexible recruitment process and focus on participant experience as some reasons for this trend. Researchers suggest that the NHS adopt some of these practices to enhance its own research delivery.
The OH BRC’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team are pleased to share the launch of the OH BRC Research Inclusion Hub, an online collection of resources designed to support researchers in embedding inclusive practices across the research cycle. The Research Inclusion Hub provides inclusivity guidance and tools, examples of best practice, links to training and development and resources tailored to protected characteristics.
Apply now: NIHR Oxford and Oxford Health Senior Research Fellowship Scheme
The NIHR Oxford and Oxford Health BRC Senior Research Fellowship Scheme recognises and supports mid-career individuals to become future leaders in translational research. Fellows will receive an award of £5,000 a year for 2 years that may be used flexibly to facilitate their translational research programme and career development. Applicants should be engaged in translational research which benefits patients or improves the healthcare system, brings health economics benefits, and contributes positively to society.
Armin Raznahan appointed to prestigious W.A. Handley Chair
Child and adolescent psychiatrist Professor Armin Raznahan has been appointed to the W.A. Handley Professor of Psychiatry post at the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, one of the most prestigious and exciting clinical academic positions in the UK. Prof Raznahan’s research uses clinical, neuroimaging, and genomic methods to better understand neurodevelopmental risk factors and identify opportunities for improved care.
Oxford researchers pioneer new breathing test to detect lung disease earlier
A new project led by the University of Oxford aims to develop a novel breathing test that could detect asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) earlier, more accurately, and closer to home, reducing pressure on the NHS and improving outcomes for patients. Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD affect more than half a billion people worldwide and cause over four million deaths every year.
