News & Events

Helping stroke survivors to walk again

30th July 2010

Whether the early use of a splint, designed to hold a weakened foot correctly in position, can help stroke survivors to walk again and to achieve a better long-term recovery is being investigated by a new trial funded by EME programme.

The SWIFT cast supports the weakened foot and ankle so an individual can practise walking very soon after a stroke, when the brain has the best chance of recovery through reorganisation of its network of connections.

Professor Valerie Pomeroy, of the University of East Anglia, who is leading the project, said: “Stroke is the largest single cause of adult disability and its effects can be devastating. Even when someone makes a reasonable recovery, they may not be able to cross the road before the traffic lights change.

“We know that the sooner we act after a stroke, the better the chances of recovery. What we aim to discover from this trial is whether the SWIFT Cast can help people regain mobility but we also hope to gain broader insights into underlying mechanisms of recovery from stroke, so we can identify and develop the best therapies for individuals.”

Each part of the brain will be mapped some three to eight weeks after a stroke to determine the position of the brain damage caused by the stroke. Through this neuro-imaging, the team hopes to establish which patients respond to this therapy.

The trial started in June and will take place over three years. It will involve around 120 participants, recruited from acute stroke units in Norfolk, Lanarkshire and other parts of the UK.

For more details on this study view the project protocol (www.eme.ac.uk/projectfiles/084325protocol.pdf (146kb) )

- Ends -

Notes to editors
1. Each year in England around 110,000 people suffer a stroke. It is estimated that this costs some £2.8 billion in direct health and social care, £1.8 billion in lost productivity and £2.4 billion in costs to informal carers.

Make a difference to NHS research - become a patient/public board member

29th July 2010

The EME programme is currently looking for members of the public to join the EME funding board to ensure that the public are actively involved in health research. As a patient/public board member you will help to identify and raise issues from the perspective of patients and the public that are relevant to the research.

If you feel that you could help the EME programme by sharing your knowledge and experiences by becoming a patient/public member of the EME Board, then please visit the EME website for further information: www.eme.ac.uk/get_involved.

The application closing date is 20 August 2010.
Interviews will be held on 7 September 2010.

Professor Raj Thakker to chair EME Board for a further five years

19th March 2009
The EME programme is delighted to announce that Professor Raj Thakker has formally accepted the position of Chair of the EME Board for a further five years.
Rajesh Thakker is the May Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Somerville College. Initially appointed Chair of the EME Board in early 2008.

He has served on the MRC Physiological Medicine and Infections Grants Committee (1994-1997), the MRC Clinical Training and Career Development Panel (1997-2000), the MRC Physiological Medicine and Infections Board (2000-2005), as Secretary to the Forum on Academic Medicine for the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2002-2005), and on the Council for the Society for Endocrinology (2003-2006).

His main research interests include the molecular basis of disorders of calcium homeostasis. He has been the recipient of many prizes which include Young Investigator Award from the ASBMR (USA), the Raymond-Horton Smith Prize (Cambridge University), the Society for Endocrinology (UK) medal, the European Journal of Endocrinology Prizes (EFES), the Graham Bull Prize from the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and most recently the prestigious ASBMR Founder’s Award (Louis V Avioli).

Hope for Peanut Allergy Sufferers

3rd March 2009
The largest ever trial to find a treatment for peanut allergies has been funded by the EME programme.

Studies have shown that peanut allergies, the commonest cause of food-allergic reactions, affect two per cent of children in the UK.  Allergic reactions can cause breathing problems, itching and, in severe cases, a potentially fatal inflammatory reaction called anaphylaxis. Around one in ten reactions is serious.

The three-year trial, with EME funding of £671,247, will be lead by Dr Andrew Clark, a consultant in paediatric allergy from the University of Cambridge. This research is funded by the Medical Research Council and managed by the National Institute for Health Research.

This project is due to publish in 2013. To view full details about this project visit:

 http://www.eme.ac.uk/projectfiles/089918info.pdf (45kb)

Recruitment of the EME Board Chair

9th December 2009
The Director of the NIHR EME programme, Professor Tom Walley, CBE, seeks to
appoint a leader in the field of translational science to undertake the duties of the
Chair of the NIHR EME Board. The appointment is for five years.

The Chair is responsible for leading a grant-awarding board, and
commissioning a portfolio of research at a cost increasing to £15m per year. Other
responsibilities include contributing to the strategic development of the EME
programme and representing the Programme Director.

**The deadline for applications for this position has now passed**

The original advert can be seen here, EME Board Chair Advert (29kb)

NIHR Clinical Research Network National Conference - "Delivering Clinical Research in the NHS"

24th November 2009
A conference to showcase the work being delivered nationally by the NIHR Clinical Research Network will be held on 28 January 2010

This event is aimed at individuals from the NHS, academia, pharmaceutical and medical technologies companies, clinical trials units, funding organisations, charities and Networks and at patients, carers and the public.

For details of the speakers and how to register, the conference flyer (942kb) is available for download.

EME Funded Project - New step forward for stroke patients

15th October 2009
New research funded by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme will determine whether an inexpensive drug called L-dopa, widely used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, could also help thousands of stroke patients regain mobility and independence.

The world’s first large scale study of this treatment, led by Professor Bipin Bhakta at the University of Leeds, will investigate whether L-dopa, when used with conventional physiotherapy and occupational therapy, increases the person’s ability to relearn essential day to day activities such as walking and dressing.

To see the full press release please visit:  http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/150/new_step_forward_for_stroke_patients

Chair of the EME Board, Professor Rajesh Thakker receives Founder’s Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 

21st September 2009
Professor Rajesh Thakker, Chair of the EME Board, has been awarded the Founder’s Award (Louis V Avioli) from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).  The EME programme is funded by the Medical Research Council and managed by NIHR.  The ASBMR is the foremost American / international society looking into aspects of bone and mineral research.  The Louis V Avioli Founder’s Award is given for fundamental contributions to bone and mineral basic research. The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) is a professional, scientific and medical society established to bring together clinical and experimental scientists involved in the study of bone and mineral metabolism.

Professor Thakker is the May Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Somerville College. He was previously Professor of Medicine at The Royal Postgraduate Medical School, The Hammersmith Hospital, London, until 1999, when he took up his present position in Oxford.

He has served on the MRC Physiological Medicine and Infections Grants Committee (1994-1997), the MRC Clinical Training and Career Development Panel (1997-2000), the MRC Physiological Medicine and Infections Board (2000-2005), as Secretary to the Forum on Academic Medicine for the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2002-2005), and on the Council for the Society for Endocrinology (2003-2006).

His main research interests include the molecular basis of disorders of calcium homeostasis. He has been the recipient of many prizes which include Young Investigator Award from the ASBMR (USA), the Raymond-Horton Smith Prize (Cambridge University, UK), the Society for Endocrinology (UK) medal, the European Journal of Endocrinology Prize (EFES), and the Graham Bull Prize from the Royal College of Physicians (UK).

Pandemic flu research

24th August 2009
As part of the ongoing Department of Health (DH) response to H1N1 ‘swine flu' pandemic, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is commissioning research looking into the prevention, treatment and management of swine flu. NETSCC is supporting the NIHR by pro-actively managing the research process for these projects. For more details visit www.netscc.ac.uk/pandemicflu

NETSCC is responding to urgent national research priorities in relation to flu including a recent call for proposals on the co-administration of vaccines for influenza. It has also coordinated a themed call for research proposals that will inform policy and patient care in the current influenza pandemic. Outcomes from these calls are available on the NETSCC website www.netscc.ac.uk/pandemicflu

EME Funds First Project: Blood pressure cuff could help improve the success of kidney transplants

26th June 2009 
The first clinical trial funded by the new Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme will investigate whether a simple procedure to activate one of the body’s natural defence mechanisms improves the function of kidneys after transplantation.  This research is funded by the Medical Research Council and managed by the National Institute for Health Research.

A team of investigators, from six kidney transplant centres in the UK and one in Holland, will be led by Raymond MacAllister, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at UCL (University College London). continue

A call for research on the emerging influenza pandemic

22nd June 2009
A call for research on the emerging influenza pandemic is being launched by the NIHR as the World Health Organization (WHO) announces the move to pandemic phase 6.  The research will provide evidence to influence ongoing health policy and practice.

As part of the collaborative effort into research concerning pandemic flu with MRC and Wellcome, the Director General for Research and Development at the Department of Health has asked the National Institute for Health Research to undertake a themed call for research that will inform policy and patient care in the current influenza pandemic.  This call is being managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials, and Studies Coordinating Centre.  It is limited to research that will have rapid practical benefit to the NHS and to NHS patients.

To see the full press release please visit www.netscc.ac.uk/news

Joint Health Research Conference

17th June 2009
The EME programme will be represented by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) at the NIHR and South West Strategic Health Authority joint event to promote the benefits of research in the NHS. This joint event aims to promote the benefits of research, showcase local activity and engage further with academics so that they can understand more fully the range of opportunities available through the NIHR to undertake and lead health and social care research to improve patient care and NHS services, including translating research into practice.

This is one of a number of regional events, and the conference will take place on Wednesday 17th June 2009 at the Bristol Mariott Hotel City Centre, Old Market, Bristol. Registration is available at www.profbriefings.co.uk/registration/southwest  and the conference flyer (97kb) is also available for download.

EME Launches New Fast-Track Scheme

4th June 2009
The EME programme is launching its new fast-track scheme. This scheme will allow a funding decision to be made within approximately 4 months of the programme receiving an application. Researchers wishing to take advantage of this scheme will have to demonstrate that reducing the time taken during the application process will provide a significant benefit or that it is essential to exploit a narrow window of opportunity. For more information about the fast-track scheme please see the funding opportunities  pages.

Joint Health Research Conference

2nd June 2009
The EME programme will be represented by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) at the NIHR and North East Strategic Health Authority joint event to promote the benefits of research in the NHS. This joint event aims to promote the benefits of research, showcase local activity and engage further with academics so that they can understand more fully the range of opportunities available through the NIHR to undertake and lead health and social care research to improve patient care and NHS services, including translating research into practice.

This is the second in a series of regional events, and the conference will take place on the 2nd June 2009 at Newcastle Racecourse and Conference Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne. Registration is available at www.profbriefings.co.uk/registration/northeast  and the conference flyer (97kb)  is also available for download.

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