Research
Overview of global health research projects
| Chief Investigator: | Professor Christian Mallen |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr Kaushalya Jayaweera (Institute for Research and Development, Sri Lanka) |
| Funder: | Newton Fund |
| Year: | 2017-2019 |
| Study design: | Survey design and semi-structured interviews |
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Primary objective:
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To explore the prevalence of common mental disorders, substance abuse and pain among adolescents in the Vavuniya district of Sri Lanka, and to capture the attitudes and beliefs of adolescents and adults towards mental health disorders. |
| Chief Investigator: | Professor Athula Sumathipala |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr Tom Shepherd |
| Funder: | Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences |
| Duration: | 2017-2019 |
| Study design: | Semi-structured interviews |
| Primary objective: | To explore and understand illness perception models and illness-specific cognitions of patients with type 2 diabetes and whether patients with co-morbid depression have additional depression-specific cognitions. |
| Chief Investigator: | Professor Christian Mallen |
| Principal Investigator: | Lasith Dissanayake |
| Funder: | |
| Study duration: | 2017-2018 |
| Study design: | Systematic review and semi-structured interviews |
| Primary objective: | To explore the prevalence and experience of MSK pain in garment factory workers in Sri Lanka |
| Chief Investigator: | Professor Richard Lilford (Univeristy of Warwick) |
| Co-applicant: | Professor Christian Mallen |
| Funder: | National Institute for Health Research |
| Year: | Awarded 2017 |
| Study design: | |
| Primary objective: |
| Chief Investigator: |
Dr Manuel Dayrit |
| Principal Investigator: |
Professor Andrew Hassell |
| Funder: |
Newton Fund |
| Year: |
2017-2018 |
| Study design: |
Systematic review and qualitative methodologies |
| Primary objective: |
To develop a new postgraduate development training programme for primary care doctors |
| Research team: |
Dr Manuel Dayrit (CI), Professor Andrew Hassell (PI), Dr Jeremie De Guzman, Dr Tom Shepherd, Professor Lisa Dikomitis, Dr Caroline Mae Ramirez, Dr Geminn Louis Apostol, Professor Christian Mallen |
SOLACE is interdisciplinary research characterised by sustained and genuine engagement with local communities, dissolving knowledge hierarchies and co-producing innovative global public health initiative and clinical interventions.
| Principal Investigator: |
Professor Lisa Dikomitis |
| Funder: |
AHRC-MRC, the Global Challenges Research Fund |
| Year: |
2017-2019 |
| Study design: |
Interdisciplinary approach, blending ethnography, Cultural Animation and participatory arts-based methods |
| Primary objective: |
Establish a cross-cultural partnership which will identify public health challenges and solutions faced by those providing primary healthcare and those receiving it in rural, remote and underserved areas by raising awareness in multiple artistic and scientific platforms and ensure the delivery of innovative and educational interventions to improve the lives of those with non-communicable diseases in rural areas. |
| Website: |
| Chief Investigator: | |
| Principal Investigator: |
Dr Nihal Abeysinghe, Institute for Research and Development Sri Lanka (www.ird.lk) |
| Funder: |
Medical Research Council UK |
| Year: |
2018-2019 |
| Primary objective: |
The aim is to establish a register of infant, child and adolescent twins, including mothers pregnant with twins, initially starting in Sri Lanka to provide the platform for future mental health research. Using this register we will be able to conduct research which will We will (1) expand existing research capacity-building activities on child and adolescent mental health and twin methods; (2), further consolidate existing partnerships; , (3)and establish new collaborations. The initiative is underpinned by three pillars: developing (1) high quality research, (2) ethics, and (3) patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). |
| Study design: |
Establishing a child and adolescent twin register for mental health research, and capacity building in Sri Lanka and other low and middle-income countries in South Asia. |
| Chief Investigator: |
Dr Jonathan Ives, Reader in Empirical Bioethics, Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol |
| Principal Investigator: | |
| Funder: |
The Wellcome Trust, UK |
| Year: |
2018 |
| Primary objective: |
The aim of this project is to assess the attitudes towards biobanking among lay persons in Sri Lanka. |
| Study design: |
A qualitative study |
| Chief Investigator: | |
| Principal Investigator: |
Professor Fruhling Rijsdijk, Social Genetic and Development Psychiatry Centre, Kings College London |
| Funder: |
Medical Research Council, UK |
| Year: |
2019-2020 |
| Study design: |
Twin design |
| Primary objective: |
The main objective of the study is to try to understand the mechanisms by which parental diet impacts child nutritional |
| Chief Investigator: |
Professor Dr Ravi Vaswani, Centre for Ethics, Yenepoya University, Mangalore, India |
| Principal Investigator: | |
| Funder: |
The Wellcome Trust, UK |
| Year: |
2019-2020 |
| Study design: |
A qualitative study |
| Primary objective: |
To carry out a gap analysis of perceptions of researchers and lay public on use of stored samples and biobanking in India. |
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Chief Investigator: |
Professor Bhisma Chakrabarti (Reading University) |
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Principal Investigators: |
Professor Gillian Lancaster, Dr Gareth McCray (at Keele) |
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Funder: |
MRC GCRF |
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Year: |
2019-2024 |
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Study design: |
Observational study with field tests in two countries |
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Primary objective:
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To develop a scalable mobile platform comprising assessment tools (INDIGO, DEEP, START) and physical measures such as eye tracking, EEG and others, to map the population distribution of scores in key neurodevelopmental domains relevant to mental health in 0-6 year old children in two diverse low-resource settings (India and Malawi). |
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Chief Investigator: |
Dr Melissa Gladstone (Liverpool University) |
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Principal Investigators: |
Professor Gillian Lancaster, Dr Gareth McCray (at Keele) |
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Funder: |
MRC GCRF |
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Year: |
2018-2019 |
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Study design: |
Observational study - field tests in three countries |
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Primary objective:
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To develop an extended version of the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT), called INDIGO, by selecting and adding new items for early child development that best identify children with moderate to severe Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) in the first 3 years of life, and field test their implementation when used at population level in three low to middle income countries (Uganda, Malawi, Pakistan). |
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Chief Investigator: |
Dr Tarun Dua (World Health Organisation) |
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Principal Investigators: |
Professor Gillian Lancaster, Dr Gareth McCray (at Keele) |
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Funder: |
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |
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Year: |
2018-2020 |
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Study design: |
Observational study - field tests in multiple countries |
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Primary objective:
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To develop the Global Scales of Early Development (GSED) by harmonising three tools of early child development (IYCD, CREDI, GCDG) for use at the population level in LMIC settings to address UN Sustainable Development Goal 4.2.1. To field test the scales in multiple countries (including India, Pakistan, Tanzania) around the world and create standard ‘norms’. |
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Chief Investigator: |
Dr Tarun Dua (World Health Organisation) |
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Principal Investigators: |
Professor Gillian Lancaster, Dr Gareth McCray (at Keele) |
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Funder: |
Bernard van Leer Foundation & Grand Challenges, Canada |
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Year: |
2014-2018 |
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Study Design: |
Observational study - field tests in three countries |
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Primary Objective:
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To create the WHO indicators of Infant and Young Child Development (IYCD) tool for use in low and middle income countries in 0-3 year olds, by (i) Meta Data Synthesis - collation and secondary analysis of 14 datasets from 10 countries on 21083 children assessed with 7 developmental assessment tools to create the prototype tool, and (ii) Field Testing in Brazil, Pakistan and Malawi to pilot and finalise the tool. |
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Chief Investigator: |
Professor Saeed Farooq (Keele University) |
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Principal Investigators: |
Professor Zia ul Haq (Khyber Medical University) Firaz Khan (Lady Reading Hospital) Mukhtar-ul-Haq Lady Reading Hospital |
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Funder: |
Medical Research Council UK, as part of their Global Alliance for Chronic Disease programme |
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Year: |
2018-2021 |
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Study design: |
Cluster RCT |
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Primary objective:
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Schizophrenia is ranked 13th for years lived with disability (YLDs) in the 15-49 years age group in developing countries. Despite this, around two third (69%) of patients in developing countries receive no treatment. This lack of treatment, commonly known as treatment gap arises from several factors including poor treatment adherence, lack of primary care involvement and poor access to the treatment. The evidence to implement community based interventions is severely lacking. We previously reported an intervention called Supervised Treatment in Out-Patients for Schizophrenia (STOPS) that led to significantly improved treatment adherence and functioning in a resource poor setting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. We now aim to implement and evaluate scaled up version of STOPS, called STOPS+. The STOPS+ will consist of following components: treatment for schizophrenia based on WHO mhGAP guidelines, maintaining treatment adherence with the help of a trained family member for dispensing and administering medication to the patient assisted by regular text message reminders, monitoring the availability of essential psychotropic medication and their side effects using a kit developed for this purpose and task shifting to PHC Physician and Multipurpose PHC Technician (MT) for treatment and monitoring. The PHC physicians and MTs will receive quality assured training and regular supervision with the help of digital technology platform. The research plan will involve a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods as well as health system data to measure both effectiveness and implementation of STOPS+ in three phase. 1. Pre-implementation phase involving community engagement, qualitative study to guide modification of STOP to STOPS+ and the identification of potential study participants using case vignettes of a typical schizophrenia patient. 2. Implementation of STOPS+ in primary care settings using a cluster RCT design to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness. 24 PHC centres in district Peshawar, KP will be randomised to STOPS+ or Enhanced Treatment As Usual (ETAU). We will recruit 526 patients (263 in each arm) suffering from Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria. The outcomes will be: (i) primary clinical outcome – Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) (ii) primary process outcome – adherence to treatment regimen. 3. Evaluation of the implementation in real world setting will be measured using the standardised World Health Organization’s Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS), economic evaluation, secondary data from the trial and utilisation of PHC, and in depth interview study involving all participants. For further details see https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FS00243X%2F1 |
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Principal Investigators: |
Dr Tom Shepherd (Keele University) |
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Funder: |
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Year: |
2018-2019 |
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Study design: |
Cross-sectional survey |
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Primary objective:
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To examine the knowledge, attitudes and practice of GPs and practice nurses throughout the West Midlands regarding FGM/C To test the utility of circulating an online survey via the CCG communications leads for research data collection. |
| Co-Principal Investigators: | Professor Lisa Dikomitis and Dr Helen Price |
| Funder: | NIHR |
| Year: | 2019-2023 |
| Study design: | Interdisciplinary research, bringing together medical anthropology and parasitology and arts-based participatory approaches, developing stigma-reducing interventions |
| Primary objective: | We will use a range of social science and participatory methods to gain in-depth understanding of patients, communities and healthcare professionals experiences and views on the effects of CL on the daily lives of those affected, the barriers to seeking healthcare, obtaining accurate, early diagnosis and receiving effective treatment. The insights we gain will inform the development of new interventions: community education campaigns to increase disease awareness and reduce stigma and training packages for healthcare professionals. The research will benefit patients and communities in Brazil, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. We will robustly involve local communities throughout this project to help design study processes, oversee ECLIPSE activities, advise on easily understandable messages to publicise findings to a wide public. ECLIPSE will disseminate results widely through academic and policy networks and to the wider public via exhibitions, project website and audio-visual documentaries. Our research will inform policy development for better global management of CL. |
| Website: | www.eclipse-community.com and @ECLIPSE_Keele |
| Chief Investigator: | Professor Athula Sumathipala |
|---|---|
| Year: | 2020 - 2021 |
| Study Design: | Diary study across three countries. |
| Primary Objective: | This project aims to understand the experiences of social distancing and impact of the COVID19 outbreak on the lives of young children (18 months to 3 years) |
| Participant Information Sheet: | Please click here for the participant information sheet for the UK arm of this diary study. |
Background and rationale
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a sudden and abrupt change to daily lives and routines in the UK and worldwide. Parents and children are confined to their homes as part of measures to reduce the number of cases and eliminate human-to-human transmission. Some families face uncertainty with their occupation and financial situations, whilst others may be required to work from home without usual childcare support (Wang et al., 2020). The threat to life, inadequate health care resources to satisfy the increased demand, and strict government policies on domestic quarantine, may exacerbate feelings of anxiety and impact the well-being of parents (Chan et al., 2007; Brooks et al., 2020). Parental temperament may in turn impact how they are able to cope with and look after children during this period. Changes to lifestyle, however, may not all be negative, some may find that they are able to maintain productivity from home, even in occupations which previously would have been considered as impossible or which employers were reluctant to explore. Children who may otherwise spend time in school or childcare (nursery, childminders etc.) may find staying home with parents enjoyable, resulting in positive benefits (Liu et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2020).
Aim
We aim to carry out a study to explore and understand the perceived impact of COVID-19 global pandemic (including self-isolation and quarantine measures) on young children aged 18 months to 3 years, their main carer and family dynamics from the perspective of the parent/ main carer.
Objectives
Primary objectives: i) To understand experiences of the parent/ carer, after government have implemented measures such as lockdown/social distancing and self-isolation, including their perspective on change to family dynamics
Secondary objectives: i) To explore cross-cultural perspectives in relation to covid-19 on child and parental well-being; ii) to determine the feasibility and value of diary keeping as a research method during a pandemic outbreak
Methodology
A short online survey will be conducted to obtain information on sociodemographic factors, well-being and life pre-lockdown. This will be followed by diary entries over a week, repeated at three-time points during a period of 6 months.
Setting
This is a multi-centred study including the United Kingdom (London), Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.
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