Medical & Health Sciences

Understanding the biochemical processes that occur in human cells is vital for the development of treatments and the advancement of medicine more generally. Professor Avital Schurr at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Kentucky, is an expert in neurochemistry and neurophysiology. In recent work, he explored the role of a particular molecule called lactate in the metabolic processes of the central nervous system.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death. Despite extensive research and the huge burden on patients and healthcare systems, treatments are sadly limited and new treatments are slow to emerge. To better understand why so many promising drugs that have worked in animal and laboratory studies failed to show the same benefits in human clinical trials, Dr Elise Van Breedam from the University of Antwerp reviewed current research methods. Her review points to the potential for human-based 3D models to bridge the gap between animal studies and human patients.

Monitoring a patient’s breathing closely is vital to medical care. However, it comes with a whole set of challenges in young children and those with certain medical conditions. Dr Thomas Shaffer and Dr Tariq Rahman from the Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, USA, work together to develop novel technologies to address this issue and drive better outcomes for their younger patients.

Persistent problems such as poverty, disease and hunger are of critical interest to organisation and management scholars. Developing countries often struggle with intractable social issues, including susceptibility to epidemics. The complexity of these challenges means it can be difficult for leaders to organise governance and ensure that resources and capabilities are effectively coordinated. Professor Michael Ryan looks at the case study of the HIV/AIDS response in Uganda, and asks how this can contribute to our understanding of public organisation and state capacity. In particular, he explores how Uganda was successful in using collaborative governance to manage the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Adipose tissue is more commonly known as body fat. Unlike white adipose tissue, which is linked to negative cardiovascular outcomes such as metabolic syndrome, brown adipose tissue is positively related to health and may reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Professor Aaron Brown and his team at the MaineHealth Institute for Research are working to understand brown adipose tissue regulation and explore its therapeutic potential. They have already made significant advancements through the application of optogenetics, a cutting-edge technique that harnesses the power of light to precisely manipulate specific cellular processes.

Health and wellbeing is not only determined by the level of medical care received but can be affected by a range of environmental, economic, and social factors. Social prescribing aims to address these needs, using a holistic approach that helps empower individuals to be in control of their own health and wellbeing. Professor Carolyn Wallace and Dr Simon Newstead from the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR) at the University of South Wales, partnered with Public Health Wales (PHW) to develop a glossary of terms for social prescribing to clarify and standardise the associated terminology.

Families can be confronted with a multitude of challenges at any time, and those with newborn babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to stress. In the face of economic hardship, health crises, and other unforeseen adversities, it is remarkable to see families harnessing their resilience. Professor Carolyn Wallace, Emeritus Professor David Pontin, and Dr Michelle Thomas from the University of South Wales focus on understanding the social and environmental factors that enable families to navigate challenges successfully. Their vital work has led to the development of the Family Resilience Assessment Instrument and Tool (FRAIT).

Clinical trials are a cornerstone of modern medicine. Before drugs and other interventions can be prescribed to patients, their safety and efficacy must be established through rigorous, tightly regulated studies. Mr Anthony Keyes and a team of administrators from Johns Hopkins University have designed and implemented programmes and checklists to improve the regulatory compliance of trials at their institution. They have shared these resources through publications, national presentations and via the Clinical Trials Registration and Results Reporting Taskforce (Taskforce).

Dr Hassan Farah worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Using novel approaches, he explored the complex connection between gait and balance in children with a particular form of cerebral palsy. Understanding how these children coordinate and move is vital to discovering new rehabilitation targets that will improve their overall strength and mobility.

Professor Benjamin Lauzier, Dr Manon Denis, and Dr Thomas Dupas carry out their vital research at l’institut du thorax and the University of Nantes in France, working closely with different international partners such as the Sainte-Justine Research Center and the Montreal Heart Institute (both in Canada). Their work focuses on a particular type of protein modification called O-GlcNAcylation, which has been associated with a large number of health conditions. They are particularly interested in the role of O-GlcNAcylation with a focus on cardiac failure during sepsis.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an explosion of clinical trials into preventative, therapeutic and diagnostic products. Dr Lisa Cooper and her colleagues at The State University of New Jersey in the USA recently investigated the relationship between the type of clinical trial sponsor (i.e., industry, academic or other) and research response time to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chronic inflammation within the digestive tract is known as inflammatory bowel disease. While the incidence is increasing, unfortunately, we do not yet fully understand what causes the condition or have a cure for it. Dr Abigail Raffner Basson from Case Western Reserve University is investigating the underlying mechanism of this disease and conducting clinical research into how diet can be used to control the debilitating, lifelong symptoms.

The transfer of genetic information from a parent to their offspring via deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is fundamental for the survival of a species. Evidence is emerging that epigenetic information – information independent of underlying DNA sequence – can also be transmitted to offspring and that parental environment can alter epigenetic information and influence the characteristics of future generations. Dr Upasna Sharma’s work as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School discovered a previously undescribed mode of epigenetic inheritance in sperm, and provides evidence that paternal diet can influence the descendants’ metabolic state via epigenetic mechanisms.

The health hazards associated with occupational asbestos exposure are widely acknowledged and extensively studied. However, emerging evidence suggests that prolonged exposure to environmental asbestos may trigger serious and debilitating autoimmune conditions, although the mechanistic actions remain poorly understood. Dr Jean Pfau and colleagues in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology at Montana State University, Bozeman, USA, have discovered a novel autoimmune disease linked to a specific type of asbestos, and have conducted extensive research regarding the causes, symptoms, and progression of this deadly condition.

Staying in neonatal intensive care units is extremely difficult, not only for the babies requiring specialist care but also for their parents. Dr Karel O’Brien from the University of Toronto is part of a wider community of scientists who have devoted their careers to studying the benefits of family-centred models in neonatal units. This vital work is improving the physical and psychological outcomes for families involved in this critical but challenging and stressful process.

Acute vestibular syndrome is one of the most common reasons people present at hospital with dizziness. The symptoms can arise from damage within the brain or the ear, and specialist medical knowledge or equipment is typically needed to determine the specific cause. Dr Nakatsuka from the University of Sydney in Australia has conducted a large-scale analysis and review of the published literature to determine if well-trained emergency physicians can differentiate between the two causes using a quick bedside physical examination without expensive special equipment.

Musculoskeletal pain can be extremely debilitating and although common, it can also be difficult to treat. Dr Joshua Boucher, an osteopathic physician based at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, is working to show how the Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) can alleviate the pain and decreased function associated with musculoskeletal injuries. His encouraging findings are establishing the FDM as a useful clinical tool, and more research is already underway.

Shigella flexneri is a species of bacteria that causes approximately 270 million cases of Shigellosis (bacillary dysentery) each year, resulting in more than 200,000 deaths worldwide. Professor Hervé Agaisse and his team, based at the University of Virginia, USA, have proposed a new model of the disease. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, they have recapitulated the symptoms caused by Shigella flexneri in the laboratory, enabling them to determine more precisely how these bacteria cause disease.

Dental imaging has come a long way in the last 20 years. Mr Yihua Zhu and colleagues from the University of California have investigated new imaging methods and compared their performance to longstanding, traditional techniques. Mr Zhu and his fellow researchers have built upon short wavelength infrared transillumination (SWIR) and invented a dual probe for investigating dental cavities and, more recently, a new method of SWIR multispectral transillumination and reflective imaging. Their research offers a novel, highly sensitive and efficient approach to the visualisation of dental cavities, the progression of tooth decay, and the assessment of other common problems in dentistry.

Mathematical models for predicting the spread of COVID-19 directly influenced public health measures around the world, significantly impacting everyone’s day-to-day activities. At Kingston University, Dr Cristina Oliva and Professor Giampiero Favato are leading the way in COVID-19 research, looking at how complex statistical data is communicated to the general public. Their valuable work is helping drive changes in behaviour that could reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Patients with rare diseases and complex conditions pose unique challenges for clinicians, largely due to limited exposure to their associated anomalies. To overcome clinical obstacles, the European Commission launched a new Cross Border Health Innovation involving European experts in urology who have formed a European Reference Network (ERN) to facilitate knowledge sharing and skill development amongst healthcare providers. Recently, Ms Loes Oomen and colleagues in the Department of Urology at the Radboudumc Amalia Children’s Hospital in The Netherlands have reviewed the clinical activity and procedures across this newly established network and identified potential areas for improvement.

Knee injuries can be notoriously complex. In recent years, many studies have attempted to investigate a potential link between the geometry of the knee and the risk of injury to a ligament called the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Dr Alan Barhorst from the University of Lousiana at Lafayette, alongside colleague Mr Ross Wilson, enlisted the help of two robots to perform a biomechanical study of this phenomenon. Their findings provide valuable insight into our vulnerability to ACL injuries.

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer and has the highest mortality rate of all female reproductive cancers in the United States. A lack of early detection, typically aggressive progression, and rapid development of resistance to chemotherapy are key contributing factors to the mortality rate. Dr. Dong-Joo (Ellen) Cheon and her team at Albany Medical College are working to determine the role of key players in the resistance to chemotherapy treatments and examining how best we can target these therapeutically to improve survival.

Chronic kidney disease is a common but irreversible condition with an increasing worldwide prevalence. The significant patient morbidity and mortality are accompanied by an unmet clinical need for more effective testing methods to identify affected patients and patients at high risk at the early stages of the disease, before it becomes irreversible. Dr. Aaron Carrithers and Dr. Stephen Carrithers at PrognostX Health have developed a new test to help reduce the number of patients progressing to late-stage chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, aiming to improve human health and reduce the financial burdens on our pressured healthcare systems.