News & events from 2024
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New digital platform widens access to research for MND patients
New digital platform widens access to research for MND patients
People living with motor neurone disease (MND) will have more opportunities to participate in ground-breaking research, thanks to a new digital platform designed to accelerate the search for a cure for the debilitating disease.
The innovative digital service, which has been designed by researchers from the University of Sheffield and the UK MND Research Institute, will make it easier and quicker for large numbers of people with MND to take part in vital scientific studies aimed to advance the treatment of the disease.
Telehealth in MND-Research (TiM-R) brings together all of the UK’s MND research studies into one place to tackle the physical barriers which currently make it difficult for people living with the degenerative disease to access and participate in research.
The developers hope it will have a significant impact on speeding up treatments which will slow down or halt the progression of MND.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(December 2024)
Professor David Sanders receives outstanding achievement award for coeliac disease expertise
Professor David Sanders receives outstanding achievement award for coeliac disease expertise
Professor David Sanders has won the Complete Nutrition (CN) Magazine Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contribution to the nutrition industry.
Professor David Sanders has won the Complete Nutrition (CN) Magazine Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contribution to the nutrition industry.
David has played a leading role in supporting adult patients with coeliac disease at the specialist gastrointestinal unit at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STH).
David’s work has been pivotal in helping advance understanding of the impact of gluten on lifestyles and health, and in 2019 the Sheffield centre was designated as an NHS England national centre for refractory coeliac disease, a rare type of coeliac disease.
In 2020 the multi award-winning unit was named a World Endoscopy Organisation Centre of Excellence, joining an elite rank of world-class endoscopy centres across the world.
The unit has also pioneered diagnosis and new treatments, resulting in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline recommendations for these patients. It also looks after the largest population of coeliac disease patients in the UK.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(November 2024)
Sheffield Hospitals Charity - dementia friendly items donated
A massive thank you to the STH Dementia Practioners Team who visited the CRF to leave some Sheffield Hospitals Charity jigsaws and card game for dementia patients to use. These may also be useful for any visiting children or other patients who maybe have long visits in our department.
They have also given us red cups and plates, the colour contrast is beneficial for stimulating appetite and stands out more visibly for patients with visual impairment.
Thank you!
(November 2024)
Using an electronic tool to screen patients’ eligibility for clinical trials
Using an electronic tool to screen patients’ eligibility for clinical trials
It was great to see the innovative NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) funded trial tracker profiled by The Nursing Times.
The trial tracker has freed up nurses' times for recruitment activities, which increases opportunities for patients to become involved in clinical trials
For more information please visit the Nursing Times website
(November 2024)
Revolutionary trial gives hope to stroke survivors
Revolutionary trial gives hope to stroke survivors
People who had a stroke less than ten years ago are being invited to take part in a groundbreaking trial investigating if a portable, pacemaker-like device could help them regain arm strength.
Researchers from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sheffield say the innovative TRICEPS trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council, could transform the lives of those left with permanent arm weakness after a stroke.
Around 110,000 people suffer a stroke in the UK every year – with a third of survivors left with persisting arm weakness. This limits their ability to look after themselves. This can severely impact on quality of life, making it difficult for them to do simple tasks such as brushing their teeth, wheeling a supermarket trolley, cooking a meal or reaching shelves.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(October 2024)
Sheffield cardiology researchers praised for heart disease research
Sheffield cardiology researchers praised for heart disease research
A team of researchers at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been praised for consistently recruiting patients into a multinational heart trial.
Interventional Cardiologist Dr Aetesam-ur-Rahman and Clinical Trials Assistant Franek Skalbania received special commendation for their success in recruiting patients into the EASY-AS trial.
The study, which is being funded by the British Heart Foundation in the UK, is looking to find out whether early heart valve replacement leads to better outcomes after five years in patients with aortic stenosis. Once concluded, the findings could change the way patients with aortic stenosis are treated.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(October 2024)
Sheffield bowel cancer patients to try out personalised ‘vaccines’
Sheffield bowel cancer patients to try out personalised ‘vaccines’
Patients undergoing bowel cancer treatment at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be invited to try out personalised ‘vaccines’ following the launch of a ground breaking NHS 'matchmaking' service.
The landmark Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad aims to recruit thousands of patients across England into various trials of a new type of immunotherapy treatment, known colloquially as cancer vaccines.
The personalised cancer vaccines will be created from specific mutations found in a patient’s DNA. Unlike conventional vaccines, they will be created once patients have been diagnosed with cancer, with the aim of preventing the cancer from returning. This will be achieved by analysing biological features of a patient’s tumour.
The vaccines will then create an immune ‘memory’ to recognise and eliminate cancer cells to prevent the cancer from returning after surgery or chemotherapy.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(October 2024)
Heart patient goes home within hours of live streamed heart valve replacement procedure
Heart patient goes home within hours of live streamed heart valve replacement procedure
Cardiologists at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have performed a cutting-edge heart valve replacement procedure live to an international audience.
The streamlined transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) showcased Sheffield’s leading role in cardiovascular disease research and enabled Christopher Wild, 80, to go home within hours of having his faulty heart valve fixed.
The pensioner, who was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, said he hoped the procedure would put “years on his lifespan”.
The procedure was broadcast to a training conference attended by more than 1,000 cardiologists from across the world and performed by a specialist team of cardiologists and nurses at the South Yorkshire Cardiothoracic Centre using the streamlined light-touch TAVI pathway which was launched in spring last year.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(October 2024)
Professor Oliver Bandmann honoured for Parkinson’s research
Professor Oliver Bandmann honoured for Parkinson’s research
Cure Parkinson’s and Van Andel Institute (VAI) have announced Professor Oliver Bandmann, Co-Director of the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Sheffield, as the winner of the 2024 Tom Isaacs Award, which honours researchers who closely collaborate with the Parkinson’s community.
The award was virtually presented to Professor Bandmann as part of the annual Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease symposium and parallel Rallying to the Challenge meeting for people living with Parkinson’s held in Grand Rapids, Michigan in September.
The Tom Isaacs Award was created in memory of The Cure Parkinson's Trust's (CPT) late co-founder and President Tom Isaacs. The award recognises researchers who have significantly impacted the lives of people living with Parkinson’s and has involved people with Parkinson’s in a participatory way in their work.
To read more on this story please visit the University of Sheffield website.
(September 2024)
Lifetime achievement award for Professor Solomon Tesfaye
Lifetime achievement award for Professor Solomon Tesfaye
Professor Solomon Tesfaye, a Consultant Physician/Diabetologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Sheffield, has been presented with an international Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding diabetes research spanning several decades.
The award was given to him at the 34th NeuroDiab annual meeting and celebrates his significant achievements in advancing understanding of diabetic neuropathy, a major complication of diabetes.
Professor Tesfaye is the first person from the UK to win the prestigious accolade since 2008 when it was awarded to his role model and mentor Professor John Ward, who developed diabetes services in Sheffield.
Diabetic nerve damage is a painful but often forgotten complication of diabetes that causes numbness and an inability to perceive pain. Up to half can be affected by the serious condition, which puts them at risk of infection, inadvertent injuries, and amputations.
A pioneer in his field, Professor Tesfaye’s work has led to the advancement of new treatments and improved lives in the UK and beyond. Advised by Professor Ward to focus on one or two studies that have impact, in the 1990s he was the first to show what blood flow in the sural nerve (a purely sensory nerve in the back of the lower leg) looks like, demonstrating that it was impaired in those with diabetes-related nerve pain. His description is now used in textbooks across the world.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(September 2024)
Red4Research 2024 - 20 September 2024
Red4Research 2024 - 20 September 2024
#Red4Research Day on Friday 20 September 2024 aims to get as many people as possible wearing red to demonstrate their support and appreciation for all those participating, undertaking and supporting research. It is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the phenomenal work, learning legacy and innovative treatments/systems/techniques that have arisen from research.
#Red4Research brings together all those participating, supporting, and undertaking research. On the front line and behind the scenes incredible research teams collectively work on health and social care research. The research community is innovative, flexible and dynamic. Research doesn’t just happen though, people make it happen – research participants, patients, professionals, volunteers and regulatory bodies all collectively working together.
On behalf of everyone at NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility, we would like to say a big 'THANK YOU' to everyone involved in research.
You can read more about Red4Research on the Research and Development Forum website.
(September 2024)
Innovative trial tracker created by Sheffield nurses and scientists wins regional NHS Parliamentary Awards
Innovative trial tracker created by Sheffield nurses and scientists wins regional NHS Parliamentary Awards
A group of research nurses and computing scientists at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have won the regional NHS Parliamentary Awards in recognition of an innovative tool which they have developed to ensure more patients can participate in research trials.
The team were honoured in the Future NHS Award, and will now go forwards as national finalists.
The Trial Tracker was nominated by Gill Furniss, MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, and has been chosen as regional winners in its category from a record 918 nominations made by 318 MPs across England.
The tracker uses algorithms to automatically match patients into multiple suitable trials simultaneously. This has replaced a lengthy manual process which research nurses had to spend many hours completing. The time saved by the tracker tool has freed up those nurses to focus on supporting those patients who are eligible for a research trial.
The project was supported with funding from the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, and has already helped to screen thousands of patients into clinical trials. This includes patients with conditions such as strokes where rapid assessment and early identification of suitable trials is critical to provide them with opportunities to provide them with new treatments that may aid recovery.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(September 2024)
HealthTech Research Centre Network
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been chosen to host a new Government-funded national HealthTech Research Centre Network which will support the development of technologies and innovations to support care for conditions including cancer, mental health, neurodegeneration and dementia, ageing, respiratory disease and cardiovascular conditions.
The Network, known as the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre Network, will identify and influence national health technology priorities to advance technological healthcare innovation across the UK.
It will also give national leadership and coordination to 14 newly established NIHR HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs) from 1 September 2024. The new NIHR HRCs, which are based in leading NHS organisations across the country, came into force on 1 April 2024 and were awarded almost £42m to drive life-changing research into health and care technologies for the next five years.
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(May 2024)
University of Sheffield professor awarded two prestigious fellowships
A University of Sheffield professor from the School of Medicine and Population Health has been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Jim Wild, Professor of Magnetic Resonance Physics, was elected as Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in recognition of his contribution to biomedical and health research in imaging.
He is one of 58 biomedical and health scientists elected to the Academy this year.
For more information please visit the University of Sheffield news page.
(May 2024)
Mobilise-D study - 26 years' worth of mobility data collection in Sheffield!
The Mobilise-D team in Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust completed their last patient, last visit on the 23rd April 2024. The Sheffield team hit a milestone with 300 MS patients recruited. Sheffield are also the top recruiting site with over 1400 patient assessments in the CRF accumulating 26 years world of real world mobility data!
Mobilise-D, funded by EU-Horizon, is the largest study of free world walking ever conducted. In Sheffield, the study took place in the NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility (CRF) and was supported by the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Facility (BRC).
For more information please visit the NIHR Sheffield BRC news page.
(May 2024)
NIHR Sheffield BRC & CRF Showcase Event 2024
We had a fantastic day at the BRC & CRF Showcase Event on 10 May 2024 at The Edge, Sheffield. There were insightful talks, engaging presentations, and vibrant posters which showcased the depth and breadth of the research taking place across Sheffield.
The event programme can be found on the right.
Highlights from the day included:
over 160 attendees
introductory talks from our directors and theme leads
7 selected abstract presentations
13 flash talks
over 40 poster presentations
a plenary lecture from Professor Ian Bruce
A selection of photos taken at the event can be found below.
(May 2024)
Programme for NIHR BRC & CRF Showcase 2024.pdf
NIHR Sheffield BRC Research Internship Programme 2024 launched for healthcare professionals across Sheffield
The NIHR Sheffield BRC is proud to support two 12 month internships for aspiring research leaders across our collaboration as part of the wider Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Healthcare Professionals Research Internship Scheme.
Traditionally there have been limited opportunities for health professionals and research delivery staff outside of medicine and dentistry to become more research active, either by engaging with, supporting or conducting research. We are therefore inviting expressions of interest from budding researchers to take part in the BRC stream of the research internship programme. Successful candidates will be released one day a week for one year and funding will be provided for backfill their usual role.
For more information visit the NIHR Sheffield BRC website.
(April 2024)
Administration Professionals Day - 24 April 2024
What an incredible year it has been!
On behalf of us all in the CRF we would like to mark the occasion by saying an enormous thank you to our fantastic administrative team. As we celebrate World Administrative Day today (24 April 2024), we want to give a huge shout out to our Reception, Administrative Assistant, Data Coordinator, PA, and Operations Teams.
You have supported, with passion, perseverance and enthusiasm, the activities of an extremely extra-ordinary year, and we could not have achieved the successes we have without you.
(April 2024)
Professor Solomon Tesfaye achieves prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator award for leading diabetes research
Professor Solomon Tesfaye achieves prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator award for leading diabetes research
Professor Solomon Tesfaye, whose research has played a key role in improving treatment and understanding of diabetic nerve damage, one of the major complications of diabetes, has been recognised with a prestigious National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator award.
Professor Solomon Tesfaye, Consultant Physician/Diabetologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was given the award in the latest round of appointments made by the NIHR.
NIHR Senior Investigators are among the most prominent researchers funded by the NIHR, the UK’s largest funder of health and care research.
The award is presented to outstanding leaders whose research has the potential to improve the future health of the nation, contribute to national growth and can develop the next generation of future health and care researcher
For more information please visit the news page of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals' website.
(April 2024)
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals neuromuscular team hailed as Centre of Excellence
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals neuromuscular team hailed as Centre of Excellence
The Sheffield neuromuscular team were praised for providing outstanding care, promoting best practice locally and nationally, and demonstrating their commitment to improving health and wellbeing for people living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions.
In total 24 neuromuscular centres across the UK, including Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, have been designated as a Centre of Clinical Excellence by Muscular Dystrophy UK. This is the second consecutive time the team have won the prestigious national accolade.
The Sheffield Neuromuscular Centre cares for patients from across the region and beyond, including South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and North Lincolnshire, and is run by a specialist team.
This specialist team consists of consultants, nurses, specialist physiotherapists, care advisors, speech and language therapists, and related specialist services such as respiratory, cardiology, orthopaedic, gastroenterology, metabolic bone medicine, interventional neuro radiology and neurosurgical team, orthotics and wheelchairs and seating care are several to mention.
For more information please visit the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals news page.
(March 2024)
NIHR Sheffield BRC & CRF Showcase - 10 May 2024
Join us at The Edge on Friday 10 May 2024 for an exciting in-person event!
The NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and Clinical Research Facility (CRF) are proud to present their joint showcase event, highlighting the latest in medical research and clinical trials happening across Sheffield.
Discover cutting-edge projects, network with interdisciplinary researchers, and foster new connections for knowledge sharing and future collaborations.
Whether you've been part of our infrastructures for a while, just starting out, or keen to find out more and get involved, we look forward to welcoming you!
(March 2024)
The Stroke Trial Tracker shortlisted for two 2024 HSJ Digital Awards
The Stroke Trial Tracker shortlisted for two 2024 HSJ Digital Awards
The Stroke Trial Tracker, developed by the stroke research team at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for 'Improving Back-Office Efficiencies through Digital' and 'Driving Change through AI and Automation' Awards at the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards, recognising innovative digital projects transforming care delivery, enhance efficiency, and improve patient outcomes.
343 entries have been received for this year’s Digital Awards, with 165 projects and individuals meriting inclusion on the final shortlist. The high volume - and exceptional quality – of applications once again mirrors the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed across the UK’s healthcare system.
Following the thorough judging process, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals was shortlisted, ahead of the official awards ceremony to be held on 6 June 2024, with its Stroke Trial Tracker standing out as a real ‘success story’ worthy of a prized place on the panel’s shortlist.
For more information visit the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) website.
(March 2024)
£2m electrical earpiece trial for stroke patients
A new treatment for stroke patients which is being tested in a clinical trial in a bid to improve arm recovery following a stroke is due to be featured on BBC Look North tonight (18 January 2024).
The new trial, known as TRICEPS, will use an innovative nerve stimulation therapy which will be delivered to stroke survivors via a portable, pacemaker-like device without the need for surgical implants.
More than 100,000 people in the UK have a stroke every year.
About a third of survivors are left with permanent arm weakness, limiting their ability to carry out everyday activities.
You can read more about the Sheffield: £2m electrical earpiece trial for stroke patients on the BBC news page or catch the story on BBC Look North (airs 6:30pm) this evening.
(January 2024)
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