Medicine and Dentistry
Research areas prevention trials and epidemiological studies into the causation of disease. For example, there are major trials in screening for Helicobacter pylori infection in the prevention of stomach cancer, and screening and treatment for hypothyroidism in pregnancy (assessing childhood intellectual development). Trials to evaluate the Polypill in reducing cardiovascular disease are planned and about to start. The Tobacco Dependence Research Unit within CEPM operates a large smokers’ clinic, providing an ample clinical base to support its extensive research programme. Here there are opportunities for postgraduate projects concerning both behavioural and pharmacological approaches to understanding and treating nicotine dependence and also to health behaviours and weight management.
Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology Mathematics and Statistics The CRUK Centre for Epidemiology Mathematics and Statistics focuses mainly on clinical trials and epidemiology in the treatment and prevention of cancer. We have particular strengths in the chemoprevention and treatment of breast cancer with our IBIS-II trial, cervical screening and development of HPV vaccines, colorectal cancer (one-off sigmoidoscopy and prostate cancer (managed by watchful waiting). We lead a £4.7m Policy Research Unit dedicated to research on cancer screening, symptom awareness and early diagnosis. We are involved in the development of new mathematical and statistical methods in the study of risk factors for cancer and projecting their future incidence and mortality. Our Clinical Trials Prevention Unit is the only trials unit in the UK with particular expertise in cancer prevention and screening. Much of the research here is collaborative, both nationally and internationally. There are opportunities for postgraduate projects in many of these areas.
112 www.smd.qmul.ac.uk
The Centre for Psychiatry The Centre for Psychiatry has three distinct research groupings: • the Epidemiological and Cultural Psychiatry group focuses on the association of physical and social environmental factors and ethnicity with common mental disorders and affective disorders (eg RANCH trial of aircraft noise and childhood learning). It also has an international reputation for cultural psychiatry and health services research (geographical mobility as a risk factor for mental distress). This group runs the popular MScs in Mental Health: Psychological Therapies/Transcultural Mental Healthcare. • the Forensic Mental Health group has been studying violence in individuals who pose a risk to the public and is using multilevel modelling to assess the accuracy of screening methods to identify those who carry exceptional risks. • the Social and Community Psychiatry group is involved in developing concepts and methods for assessing treatment processes and outcomes, evaluation of mental healthcare and developing and testing innovative complex interventions. It has been successful in gaining European funding, with many projects addressing more than one area of study. All three of our Centres are involved in statistical research, covering a wide range of methodologies and applications. These will include epidemiology, demography, clinical trials, longitudinal studies, health screening, infection control, birth weight and gestation, systematic reviews, cluster randomisation, meta-analysis, logistic regression, survival analysis, multi-level modelling, and models of disease progression. Staff research interests Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Jonathan Bestwick MSc Academic Fellow in Medical Statistics Medical screening