Research areas
Clinical Medicine and Population Health
The aim of the clinical medicine and population health research theme is to support researchers with their study of health and illness in people, to learn how to prevent, diagnose and treat illness, and translate to patient care in clinical practice (the so-called T2-T4 translational gap).
Our clinical research is focused on infertility management primary care, fertility preservation, health inequalities in cancer screening, cancer diagnosis and management in primary care, thyroid disease, and peripheral arterial disease diagnostics.
Our researchers within this theme deploy multiple research methods in healthcare evaluation including cluster randomised controlled trials, feasibility trials, big database research including Emulated Target Trials, and qualitative methods including focus groups and in-depth interviews.
Current projects include:
- The clinical and genetic determinants of thyroid control in general practice
- The consequences of over-diagnosing hypothyroidism in an ageing United Kingdom population
- Cancer patients’ needs assessment in primary care
- Improving uptake of breast, bowel, and cervical cancer screening among Muslim women
- Tackling barriers to early diagnosis of prostate cancer for Black men in Scotland and the north-east of England
- Health literacy-reducing inequalities in healthcare access through changing the reading age of healthcare material
Translational biomedical science research
Translational biomedical medicine science has a long reach including immunobiology, medical genetics, cellular and molecular bioscience, molecular microbiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and toxicology, which allow us to investigate pathological mechanisms and interventions relating to health and disease.
Much of this work aligns to the John Dawson Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute (JDDDRI) which focuses upon drug discovery and delivery, diagnostics and disease biomarker, data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning themes. However, some D1 to T1 translational gap research including pathogenesis and non-pharmacological interventions is supported within the CTMR translational biomedical science theme.
Our researchers in the translational biomedical science research theme employ sophisticated in vitro molecular and cell culture-based techniques, multiomics approaches and in vivo comparative biology research to better understand disease mechanisms.
Our research is focused on stem-like cells in glioblastoma and metabolic function and modulation in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and cancer.
Our current projects include transplantation immunobiology and investigating the molecular mechanisms underpinning vascular endothelial dysfunction after ischaemic reperfusion injury.
Medical education (pedagogic)
Our aim is to become recognised nationally and internationally for our high standards of innovation and development in medical education research, especially in anatomy delivery.
Working with medical regulators, healthcare education providers, patients, and the public, we aim to ensure that our medical education research has real-world impact.
Our work focuses on broad areas such as widening participation, the student experience, interprofessional healthcare learning and the learning environment.
Current projects include an analysis of the widening participation strategy at the medical school and its impact, interprofessional learning with medical and midwifery students, and blended delivery of anatomy with cadaveric, model, ultrasound and anatomage delivery.
The Master of Medical Education course supports a range of social science research projects contributing to the enhancement of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula provision within the School of Medicine and beyond. In addition, opportunities for dissemination of research are provided through the School's annual regional Medical Education conference.
Clinical Academic Training Office (CATO)
The work of the CATO is supported by our Clinical Academic Director, manager, research administrator and education administrator.
The scope of the CATO includes:
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) programme: The School of Medicine manages four ACF posts each year, supporting the development of their clinical academic training including NIHR doctoral research fellowship application. Management of the University of Sunderland Integrated Academic Training (IAT) programme is in collaboration with Newcastle University and NHS England Education North-East and North Cumbria Workforce Training and Education (NHSEE NE&NC WT&E).
- NHSE E NE&NC WT&E education and research Integrated Training Posts (ITPs): Each year the School of Medicine hosts between three and six GP ITPs in research or education under the supervision of clinical academics, Professor Wilkes and Dr Randles. GP ST 1 or 2 applicants work on various research projects, whilst achieving their MSc in Clinical Research (currently undertaken at Newcastle university) or Master of Medical Education (MMedEd).
- NIHR Applied Research Collaborative (ARC) PhD studentships: Professor Scott Wilkes’ PhD student is an example of ‘big data’ 3 million data-point national database epidemiological research challenging clinical guidelines and may impact the health of millions of hypothyroid patients in the UK and worldwide.
- Our current postgraduate offer – Master of Medical Education – attracts over 100 students each year.
- Self-funded and externally funded PhD studentships, including successful transition from ACF posts into fully funded NIHR doctoral research fellowships are supported by the CATO.
- Current external and internal grant/award holders include Prof Scott Wilkes, Dr Ellen Tullo, Dr Floor Christie-de Jong, Dr Matthew Campbell, Dr Anastasia Trebacz, Dr Rosie Dew, Dr Jane Falconer, Dr Shafiq Ahmed, Dr Mark Gray, Dr Clair Preece, Dr Katrin Jaedicke and Dr David Swan.
- The School of Medicine has secured 30 NIHR funded intercalated degrees and stipends for medical students over the next three years. These degrees are primarily to support students who aspire to follow a clinical academic career beyond their medical degree.
- NIHR and INSPIRE internship programmes: The School of Medicine has 10 NIHR funded and four INSPIRE funded student internships each year. The INSPIRE award is a successful collaborative bid with Newcastle University awarded by the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) to both institutions. The programme offers medical students the opportunity to work with academics on research projects to produce their own outputs. An inaugural INSPIRE conference was delivered in October 2023 at the Sunderland Fire station auditorium.