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    Dr James Prior

    Dr James Prior

    Title
    Lecturer in Epidemiology
    Location
    DJW 0.109
    Contact me
    Via email
    Phone
    +44 (0) 1782 734847
    Email
    j.a.prior@keele.ac.uk

    Biography

    James gained his undergraduate (BSc Sport Science) and postgraduate (MSc by research) degrees from the University of Central Lancashire in 2003 and 2005 respectively. He subsequently took up a research post at the University of Central Lancashire, investigating a new method of diagnosing osteoarthritis by recording high-frequency sound emitted from the knee joints.

    In 2008, James moved into the area of primary care research by joining the School for Primary, Community and Social Care at Keele University, allowing his continued focus into osteoarthritis, but in epidemiological and health services research areas. This post also provided James with the opportunity to undertake a Ph.D. in Epidemiology.

    Upon completion of his Ph.D. James moved into the School’s Inflammatory Condition Research Group and his research now focuses on the primary care epidemiology of several conditions, including axial spondyloarthritis, gout and giant cell arteritis (GCA). James also leads on undergraduate and postgraduate research methods modules across the University.

    Research and scholarship

    James' research focuses on the epidemiology of inflammatory conditions in primary care, with two specific areas of interest, comorbidity and diagnostic study. 

    Previous research into comorbidities in patients with inflammatory conditions has included the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients' with gout and cardiovascular disease in patients with axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Current work within this area is investigating whether patients with inflammatory conditions are more likely to self-harm than other comparable patients in primary care. 

    James' previous research into diagnostic delay includes systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the extent to which the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) is currently delayed and several current research projects are examining the barriers and facilitators to receiving a prompt diagnosis for GCA, axial spondyloarthritis and inflammatory bowel disease in primary care. 

    Teaching

    James is lead for the undergraduate Research and Analytic Skills module within the School of Life Sciences and the postgraduate MMedSci Statistics and Epidemiology module, both at Keele University. He also teaches various aspects of epidemiology to trainee doctors and nurses, both within the University and the wider local NHS.

    Further information

    James is an executive committee member of the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC), having several roles within this organisation. Principally, he is communications lead, ensuring that the primary care community can access clear information on what activities SAPC is undertaking to improve academic primary care and updating the SAPC website and social media accounts. James also sits on the Scientific Foundation Board for the Royal College of General Practitioners and is part of the committee which reviews applications for this funding stream.

    Selected Publications

    • Shoaib A, Mohamed M, Rashid M, Khan SU, Parwani P, Contractor T, Shaikh H, Ahmed W, Fahy E, Prior J, Fischman D, Bagur R, Mamas MA. 2021. Clinical Characteristics, Management Strategies and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients With Prior Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Mayo Clin Proc, vol. 96(1), 120-131. link> doi>
    • Prior JA, Paskins Z, Whittle R, Abdul-Sultan A, Chew-Graham CA, Muller S, Bajpai R, Shepherd TA, Sumathipala A, Mallen CD. 2021. Rheumatic Conditions as Risk Factors for Self-Harm: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), vol. 73(1), 130-137. link> doi> full text>
    • Barnett LA, Helliwell T, Jordan KP, Prior JA. 2020. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PRESENTING CLINICAL FEATURES AND SUBSEQUENT DIAGNOSIS OF GIANT CELL ARTERITIS. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 59). link> doi>
    • Hay CA, Ryan S, Packham J, Mallen CD, Prior JA. 2020. THE EXTENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF DIAGNOSTIC DELAY IN AXSPA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 59). link> doi>
    • Barnett LA, Helliwell T, Jordan K, Prior J. 2020. TRENDS IN INCIDENCE OF GCA IN THE UK. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 59, p. 19). link> doi>

    Full Publications List show

    Journal Articles

    • Shoaib A, Mohamed M, Rashid M, Khan SU, Parwani P, Contractor T, Shaikh H, Ahmed W, Fahy E, Prior J, Fischman D, Bagur R, Mamas MA. 2021. Clinical Characteristics, Management Strategies and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients With Prior Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Mayo Clin Proc, vol. 96(1), 120-131. link> doi>
    • Prior JA, Paskins Z, Whittle R, Abdul-Sultan A, Chew-Graham CA, Muller S, Bajpai R, Shepherd TA, Sumathipala A, Mallen CD. 2021. Rheumatic Conditions as Risk Factors for Self-Harm: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), vol. 73(1), 130-137. link> doi> full text>
    • Hay CA, Prior JA, Belcher J, Mallen CD, Roddy E. 2020. Mortality in patients with gout treated with allopurinol: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). link> doi> full text>
    • Chean CS, Prior JA, Helliwell T, Belcher J, Mackie SL, Hider SL, Liddle J, Mallen CD. 2019. Characteristics of patients with giant cell arteritis who experience visual symptoms. Rheumatol Int, vol. 39(10), 1789-1796. link> doi> full text>
    • Evans PL, Prior JA, Belcher J, Hay CA, Mallen CD, Roddy E. 2019. Gender-specific risk factors for gout: a systematic review of cohort studies. Adv Rheumatol, vol. 59(1), 24. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Muller S, Helliwell T, Hider SL, Barraclough K, Dasgupta B, Mallen CD. 2019. The association of pain and stiffness with fatigue in incident polymyalgia rheumatica: baseline results from the polymyalgia rheumatica cohort study. Prim Health Care Res Dev, vol. 20, e46. link> doi> full text>
    • Hider SL, Muller S, Helliwell T, Prior JA, Scott I, Lawton SA, Zwierska I, van Schaardenburg D, van der Helm-van Mil A, Raza K, Mallen CD. 2019. Symptoms associated with inflammatory arthritis are common in the primary care population: results from the joint symptoms survey. Rheumatology (Oxford), vol. 58(11), 2009-2014. link> doi> full text>
    • Evans PL, Prior JA, Belcher J, Mallen CD, Hay CA, Roddy E. 2018. Obesity, hypertension and diuretic use as risk factors for incident gout: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Arthritis Res Ther, vol. 20(1), 136. link> doi> full text>
    • Helliwell T, Muller S, Hider SL, Prior JA, Richardson JC, Mallen CD. 2018. Challenges of diagnosis and management of giant cell arteritis in general practice: a multimethods study. BMJ Open, vol. 8(2), e019320. link> doi> full text>
    • Liddle J, Bartlam R, Mallen CD, Mackie SL, Prior JA, Helliwell T, Richardson JC. 2017. What is the impact of giant cell arteritis on patients' lives? A UK qualitative study. BMJ Open, vol. 7(8), e017073. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Ranjbar H, Belcher J, Mackie SL, Helliwell T, Liddle J, Mallen CD. 2017. Diagnostic delay for giant cell arteritis - a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Med, vol. 15(1), 120. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Ranjbar H, Belcher J, Mackie S, Mallen CD. 2017. DIAGNOSTIC DELAY FOR GIANT CELL ARTERITIS (GCA). A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES, vol. 75, 1092. link> doi> link> full text>
    • Cawley A, Prior JA, Muller S, Helliwell T, Hider SL, Dasgupta B, Barraclough K, Mallen CD. 2018. Association between characteristics of pain and stiffness and the functional status of patients with incident polymyalgia rheumatica from primary care. Clin Rheumatol, vol. 37(6), 1639-1644. link> doi> full text>
    • Barnett LA, Prior JA, Kadam UT, Jordan KP. 2017. Chest pain and shortness of breath in cardiovascular disease: a prospective cohort study in UK primary care. BMJ Open, vol. 7(5), e015857. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior J, Mallen C, Chandratre P, Muller S, Richardson J, Roddy E. 2017. Des caractéristiques de la goutte associées à la dépression mais pas à l’anxiété en soins primaires : conclusions initiales d’une étude de cohorte prospective. Revue du Rhumatisme. doi> link> full text>
    • Masson W, Muller S, Whittle R, Prior J, Helliwell T, Mallen C, Hider SL. 2017. Possible giant cell arteritis symptoms are common in newly diagnosed patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica: results from an incident primary care PMR cohort. BMC Rheumatol, vol. 1, 7. link> doi> full text>
    • Walsh CP, Prior JA, Chandratre P, Belcher J, Mallen CD, Roddy E. 2016. Illness perceptions of gout patients and the use of allopurinol in primary care: baseline findings from a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, vol. 17(1), 394. link> doi> full text>
    • Ahmed N, Prior JA, Chen Y, Hayward R, Mallen CD, Hider SL. 2016. Prevalence of cardiovascular-related comorbidity in ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis in primary care: a matched retrospective cohort study. Clin Rheumatol, vol. 35(12), 3069-3073. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Mallen CD, Chandratre P, Muller S, Richardson J, Roddy E. 2016. Gout characteristics associate with depression, but not anxiety, in primary care: Baseline findings from a prospective cohort study. Joint Bone Spine. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Jordan KP, Kadam UT. 2015. Variations in patient-reported physical health between cardiac and musculoskeletal diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies. Health Qual Life Outcomes, vol. 13, 71. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Ogollah R, Muller S, Chandratre P, Roddy E, Mallen CD. 2015. Gout, anxiety, and depression in primary care: a matched retrospective cohort study. Scand J Rheumatol, vol. 44(3), 257-258. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Jordan KP, Kadam UT. 2014. Associations between cardiovascular disease severity, osteoarthritis co-morbidity and physical health: a population-based study. Rheumatology (Oxford), vol. 53(10), 1794-1802. link> doi>
    • Prior JA, Rushton CA, Jordan KP, Kadam UT. 2012. Comorbidity Cohort (2C) study: cardiovascular disease severity and comorbid osteoarthritis in primary care. BMC Health Serv Res, vol. 12, 295. link> doi> full text>
    • Prior JA, Jordan KP, Kadam UT. 2012. Influence of chronic diseases on long-term change in physical health: a consultation-survey linkage cohort study in general practice. Qual Life Res, vol. 21(4), 581-591. link> doi>
    • Prior JA and Kadam UT. 2011. Cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal disorder labels in family practice acted as markers of physical health severity. J Clin Epidemiol, vol. 64(5), 547-555. link> doi>
    • Prior J, Mascaro B, Shark L-K, Stockdale J, Selfe J, Bury R, Cole P, Goodacre JA. 2010. Analysis of high frequency acoustic emission signals as a new approach for assessing knee osteoarthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, vol. 69(5), 929-930. doi>
    • Mascaro B, Prior J, Shark L-K, Selfe J, Cole P, Goodacre J. 2009. Exploratory study of a non-invasive method based on acoustic emission for assessing the dynamic integrity of knee joints. Medical Engineering & Physics, vol. 31(8), 1013-1022. doi>

    Other

    • Barnett LA, Helliwell T, Jordan KP, Prior JA. 2020. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PRESENTING CLINICAL FEATURES AND SUBSEQUENT DIAGNOSIS OF GIANT CELL ARTERITIS. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 59). link> doi>
    • Hay CA, Ryan S, Packham J, Mallen CD, Prior JA. 2020. THE EXTENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF DIAGNOSTIC DELAY IN AXSPA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 59). link> doi>
    • Barnett LA, Helliwell T, Jordan K, Prior J. 2020. TRENDS IN INCIDENCE OF GCA IN THE UK. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 59, p. 19). link> doi>
    • Twomlow EL, Prior JA, Mackie SL, Helliwell T, Hider SL, Belcher J, Liddle J, Mallen CD. 2019. CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH PREVALENT GIANT CELL ARTERITIS IN UK PRIMARY CARE. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 58, p. 130). link> doi>
    • Prior J, Whittle R, Abdul-Sultan A, Chew-Graham C, Sumathipala A, Sheperd T, Mallen C, Paskins Z. 2018. INCREASED RISK OF SELF-HARM IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS: A UK POPULATION STUDY. OSTEOPOROSIS INTERNATIONAL (vol. 29, pp. 625-626). link>
    • Hay CA, Prior JA, Scott I, Raza K, Hider S, Mallen CD. 2018. DIAGNOSTIC DELAY FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES (vol. 77, p. 1290). link> doi>
    • Hider SL, Muller S, Prior J, Helliwell T, Van Schaardenburg D, van der Helm-van Mil A, Raza K, Mallen CD. 2017. SYMPTOMS INDICATIVE OF INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS ARE COMMON IN THE PRIMARY CARE POPULATION: FINDINGS FROM THE SYMPTOMS IN PERSONS AT RISK OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SURVEY. ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES (vol. 76, p. 1043). link> doi>
    • Liddle J, Bartlam R, Richardson JC, Helliwell T, Mackie S, Prior JA, Mallen CD. 2017. MY WHOLE LIFE IS ALTERED CONSIDERABLY: LIVING WITH THE ONGOING EFFECTS OF GIANT CELL ARTERITIS SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 56, p. 120). link>
    • Muller S, Masson W, Hider SL, Helliwell T, Lawton S, Prior J, Zwierska I, Barraclough K, Dasgupta B, Mallen CD. 2016. HOW COMMON ARE GIANT CELL ARTERITIS SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA? RESULTS FROM AN INCIDENT PRIMARY CARE COHORT. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 55, p. 77). link>
    • Evans PL, Prior JA, Mallen CD, Belcher J, Roddy E. 2016. OBESITY, HYPERTENSION AND DIURETIC USE AS RISK FACTORS FOR INCIDENT GOUT: A META-ANALYSIS OF COHORT STUDIES. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 55, p. 80). link>
    • Prior JA, Muller S, Helliwell T, Hider S, Dasgupta B, Mallen CD. 2016. THE ROLE OF PAIN AND STIFFNESS ON FATIGUE AND INSOMNIA IN AN INCIDENT POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA COHORT. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 55, p. 82). link>
    • Walsh C, Prior J, Chandratre P, Roddy E. 2015. ALLOPURINOL USE AND THE ILLNESS PERCEPTIONS OF GOUT PATIENTS IN PRIMARY CARE. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 54, pp. 68-69). link>
    • Prior JA, Roddy E, Chandratre P, Muller S, Richardson J, Hider SL, Mallen CD. 2014. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN GOUT CHARACTERISTICS AND ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION COMORBIDITY IN PRIMARY CARE. ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES (vol. 73, p. 452). link> doi>
    • Prior JA, Ogollah R, Muller S, Chandratre P, Roddy E, Mallen CD. 2014. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION COMORBIDITY IN PRIMARY CARE GOUT: A MATCHED RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY. RHEUMATOLOGY (vol. 53, p. 80). link>