Health impact in the news

A research group led by Keele University has secured £11m National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funding to establish a Mental Health Research Group (MHRG) to address the mental health needs of the North-West Midlands and increase capacity for applied research.

Using a knee brace can help people with painful knee osteoarthritis manage their symptoms, according to new research.

The first ever cohort of paramedic students from Keele University have graduated – with many already providing emergency and urgent medical care in communities to help meet rising demand for ambulance services.

A research team led by a Keele University and University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) scientist have developed a pioneering blood test that could change the way cancer is detected and monitored.

Keele's research on musculoskeletal disorders has been recognised as No.1 in the world in a newly-released international ranking.

Researchers from Keele University are working with communities across North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to reduce inequalities facing people with musculoskeletal conditions.

The first group of students on a new Nursing Associate apprenticeship delivered by Keele University and Telford College have begun their studies, following a landmark partnership announced earlier this year.

Keele researchers have contributed to a new evidence-based training resource for pharmacy teams to help them provide better care for patients with Long Covid.

Researchers have found that current care for musculoskeletal conditions like back pain and osteoarthritis is failing to close an important ‘inequality gap’ in pain and disability.

Researchers at Keele University have published the first investigation into the variation in the chemical make-up of calcifications caused by prostate cancer, in the hope of identifying new markers to improve early diagnosis.

A new tool has been created by a team led by Keele University to help people with a learning disability access urgent and emergency care more easily.

Scientists at Keele University have revealed for the first time that certain changes in prostate tissue - namely calcification - could be an indicator of cancer aggressiveness, offering a potential new method for doctors to test patients.

A Keele professor will co-lead a prestigious new research team set up to tackle the pressing challenges facing people living with arthritis, alongside colleagues from Oxford, Manchester, Nottingham and Aberdeen universities.

A researcher from Keele’s School of Medicine is among the new cohort of academics granted Senior Investigator status by a prominent research body.

Paramedic students and staff at Keele University are taking part in a 24-hour CPR challenge to raise money for an air ambulance service.

A Keele University professor has been selected to sit on a new World Heart Federation (WHF) advisory board, joining a global effort to combat heart disease.

An expert in stroke rehabilitation from Keele University has been chosen to co-lead a global project to accelerate the development of new practices and treatments to help stroke patients.

Virtual reality is being used to help aspiring radiographers at Keele University learn how to use X-ray machines.

Staff and students from Keele University’s Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Clinic are helping to boost people's health and wellbeing in the local area with the launch of two new workshops.

Researchers at Keele University are embarking on a new study to help improve the early detection of ovarian cancer, which could benefit thousands of women every year.

A hospital ward, GP surgery, operating theatre, and CT scanner are among the environments featured in a brand-new healthcare simulation suite at Keele University.

Keele researchers have identified large differences in poor health across the area, urging healthcare planners to be mindful of these inequalities people face in accessing healthcare.

Keele University marked its contribution to the health service in Staffordshire, Shropshire and beyond as it celebrated its 2,024th medical student to graduate.

Researchers at Keele University and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust have started two new studies, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, to improve the treatment of pain in people with inflammatory arthritis.

A researcher from Keele University has received funding to develop new ways to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and viruses.

Keele researchers are embarking on an important new study to investigate the challenges deprived communities face when accessing musculoskeletal (MSK) care.

A pioneering study led by a Keele scientist has demonstrated how a single cancer cell can be identified in a sample of blood, paving the way for more personalised and targeted treatments for cancer patients.

Depression and loneliness can be prevented using structured telephone-based psychological care, delivered over eight weeks, according to new research.

Researchers at Keele University are carrying out what is thought to be the first study to examine brain activity in babies born with hearing loss as they develop early cognitive skills.

A tool designed by Keele researchers to improve care for patients with low back pain has been estimated to have generated more than £226 for every £1 spent on implementing it.

Researchers from Keele University have found that analgesic medicines - commonly known as “painkillers” - are widely prescribed to people with inflammatory arthritis across England despite little research evidence that they improve pain for these patients.

Patients with musculoskeletal pain were more likely to receive strong painkillers including opioids during a consultation with their GP during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown periods, compared to consultations happening immediately before and after the height of the pandemic.

A Keele University Professor has received an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her dedication to patients and her extensive healthcare research.

A virologist from Keele University has received a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the inaugural King’s Birthday Honours list for services to public communication during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In our latest episode of “The Keele Podcast”, Professor Ian Cumming OBE from Keele’s Medical School talks us through his role as UK Ambassador for Health of Overseas Territories; his work coordinating the Covid-19 response abroad; and the future of global healthcare.

Delays for patients awaiting a diagnosis of an inflammatory arthritis, caused by changes in practice during the Covid pandemic, could have a negative impact on their symptoms and longer-term outlook, new research has found.

NHS professionals across the country are benefiting from new interactive training simulations that have been developed with academics at Keele University.

A team of researchers are leading a new study to help physically disabled women gain better access to cervical screening, in a bid to reduce cervical cancer.

Researchers from Keele and Oxford universities have developed a new tool for doctors to identify patients at high risk of serious falls.

The proportion of adults in England diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis has increased by at least 40% between 2004 to 2020, new Keele University research has found.

Patients should have more input into healthcare messaging that discusses risk, researchers have suggested.

The number of cancer patients admitted to hospitals with cardiovascular diseases has risen by almost a quarter (23%) in the past decade, according to new research led by Keele University.

Urgent action is needed to clear the backlog of people with a common heart condition who are waiting for lifesaving treatment, according to research co-led by a Keele Professor.

Researchers have developed a new framework for GPs to help them better support patients who are suffering distress associated with persistent pain.

A team of Keele University researchers has found that steroids need to be used for longer than previously thought in the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica, which may lead to an increase in unwanted side effects.

Keele University’s role as a centre for outstanding, world-class research has been reaffirmed today in the UK-wide Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

More than 1,000 women from the local area have helped a research team develop a new tool to help clinicians diagnose spinal fractures in osteoporosis patients.

Three commonly prescribed statins are best placed to lower ‘bad’ types of cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes, according to a new study.

A new study led by researchers at Keele University, and funded by the British Heart Foundation, has found that patients with unexplained chest pain are at an increased risk of suffering a heart attack later in life.

A research team led by Keele University is working to improve understanding and care for children with musculoskeletal pain in their joints and muscles.

Keele University has partnered with a local NHS trust to set up a new imaging suite for training the next generation of clinicians.

A team of researchers led by Dr Pensée Wu, senior lecturer at Keele University’s School of Medicine, have found that women who conceive with assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are at a higher risk of vascular and pregnancy complications.

New research has linked two types of less-often prescribed diabetes drugs with lower chances of potentially fatal heart problems in people with type 2 diabetes without established heart disease.

Age-associated conditions such as osteoarthritis pose a huge barrier to people remaining healthy and in work for longer, according to new research.

Keele’s first cohort of student paramedics have begun their first placements with West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) as part of their degree.

Scientists from Keele and Cardiff Universities have discovered new links between the breakdown in brain cell development and the risk of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.

A Keele University professor has been named as a Fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute in recognition of her significant contribution to nursing.

A project led by a Keele University professor to improve digital pathways to treatment for patients with low back pain, has secured funding from the NHSX Adoption Fund.

A Keele University professor is co-leading a research team aiming to improve mental health in tuberculosis (TB) patients by developing a new psychological treatment.

A brand-new Master’s degree designed to address a skills shortage in a highly specialised field of healthcare has been launched at Keele University.

New research has found that people who have had Covid-19 have an increased risk of mental illness, fatigue, and sleep problems.

Since graduating with a degree in Medicine from Keele in 2018, Sajan Khullar is pursuing a career in paediatric medicine at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

Former professional footballers who headed the ball frequently may suffer from an increased risk of neurodegeneration, according to new research.