Involving community members alongside healthcare professionals and easier access could boost vaccine uptake Extending vaccination opportunities, involving community members alongside healthcare professionals in communicating about vaccines, and providing financial incentives are among the most effective way...

📰News!📰 Extending vaccination opportunities, involving the community alongside healthcare professionals in vaccine communication & providing financial incentives are among the most effective ways to increase vaccine uptake, an analysis of international trial evidence has found. tinyurl.com/j8wmhsxz

Such a diversity of topics and issues being discussed at the RCS England Future of Surgery Festival today, and great to be presenting our NIHR Bristol BRC work on improving surgical innovation here
@collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social
@bristolbrc.bsky.social @bristol-csr.bsky.social

Feasibility trials should watch, listen and adapt—not just measure outcomes, Bristol researchers say - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Research from NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Bristol and Southmead Hospital suggests early studies assessing innovative invasive devices should: Embed qualitative observation and stakeholder intervi...

Feasibility trials should watch, listen + adapt, not just measure outcomes, according to a paper setting out a practical model for feasibility studies of complex, invasive devices.
News story👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/feasibility-...
Paper👇
doi.org/10.1186/s408...

Mindfulness for neurodivergent young adults - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre This project addresses a gap in adolescent and young adult mental health research. It will focus on the transitional age range of 18-24 as 75% of mental health conditions have already begun by the tim...

🚨 New project on our website
Mindfulness for neurodivergent young adults.
Neurodivergent people have a higher risk of experiencing #MentalHealth challenges while often being excluded from mindfulness-based interventions because of unintended barriers. More👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/research/res...

Our @bristolbrc.bsky.social team are excited to be at the @collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social Future of Surgery conference this week. Looking forward to discussions about important topics like AI, surgical innovation, inclusivity, and decision-making #FoFS

The NIHR BRC: Bristol newsletter April 2026 edition In this edition: improving missing data handling, womb transplant insights, unpicking the genetics of postoperative delirium; plus much more

Our newsletter is out!
In this edition 👇
↗️ Improving missing data handling
↗️ Womb transplant insights
↗️ Unpicking the genetics of postoperative delirium
↗️ NIHR Senior Investigator awards
↗️ Plus much more...
Read more about what we've been up to:
mailchi.mp/0bc47296cb8e...

Exploring the relationship between stress response dysfunction and mental health - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre The human body is designed to respond to stress in an automatic and instinctual way. This response is supposed to keep us safe by keeping us alert, motivated and ready to avoid danger. However, long-t...

🚨 New project on our website!
Long-term or severe stress can damage our bodies - researchers from our #MentalHealth theme will explore the relationship between stress response dysfunction (potentially associated with early life trauma) and mental health.
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/exploring-th...

Testing the feasibility of a wound infusion catheter trial in children - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre A wound infusion catheter is a flexible tube used to deliver pain relief directly into the surgical site. It is usually inserted by a surgeon at the end of the procedure. Limited evidence suggests using wound infusion catheters in adults provides good pain relief after abdominal surgery. Wound infusion catheters are also used in children […]

🚨 New project on our website!
Our researchers will test the feasibility of a wound infusion catheter trial in children.
Wound infusion catheters are flexible tubes used to deliver pain relief directly into the surgical site. #Surgicalinnovation
More info👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/testing-the-...

A year of impact from the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit: Evaluation & Behavioural Science To mark the World Health Organisation’s World Health Day on 7 April, we want to highlight the achievements of the HPRU EBS that help ensure science-led public health reaches more […]

📰News!📰On #WorldHealthDay, we want to highlight our achievements that help ensure science-led public health reaches more people, strengthens health protection & shapes future health policy.
More➡️ tinyurl.com/3r2a47b9
@bristoluni.bsky.social, @who.int, @nihr.bsky.social
@ukhsa.bsky.social

Does where people live contribute to the development of personality disorder? - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre We know that the neighbourhood people live or grow up in can affect their mental health. However, we don’t know if where someone lives is linked to their risk of developing the difficulties associated with a diagnosis of personality disorder.   People diagnosed with personality disorder experience differences in the way they think and feel. […]

🚨New project on our website!

Does where people live contribute to the development of personality disorder?

Our researchers will explore explore the role neighbourhood environment may play in the development of personality disorder.

#MentalHealthResearch

www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/does-where-p...

Mature man doing physical therapy exercises using a stretch band with the assistance of his therapist

🚨 New project on our website!
@daisyelliott.bsky.social + Katie Whale are exploring if/how care pathway components (CPCs) are considered + integrated in early phase research of surgical innovation. CPCs include exercise, diet, pain relief, physio etc.
More👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/integrating-...

Two girls give each other high fives after running

🚨 New project on our website!

Our researchers are comparing hip-worn and wrist-worn fitness tracker data for primary school children to estimate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels.

More about the project👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/comparing-hi...

#HealthResearch #PhysicalActivity

Young male and female surgeons are looking at scan results on a screen before they perform surgery on a patient

🚨 New project on our site!
Surgeon often modify new surgical procedures as they are introduced into practice BUT they don't always document these modifications. Our team will develop a framework to:
1️⃣ identify
2️⃣ classify
3️⃣ report modifications
More info👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/improving-ho...

Outcome assessment continuity in early and late phase surgical research - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Early evaluation of innovative (new) surgical procedures and devices provides the evidence we need to support their safe introduction into clinical practice. These early phase studies are also importa...

🚨 New project on our website
Our team has been exploring the continuity of outcome measures in early and late phase surgical research.
More👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/outcome-asse...
Paper👇
doi.org/10.1186/s128...
#HealthResearch #Surgery #Surgicalinnovation

Bristol BRC theme co-lead to play part in national Respiratory Transformation Partnership - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre We are very proud to announce that Professor James Dodd, workstream co-lead for our respiratory disease theme and North Bristol NHS Trust Respiratory Consultant, has taken up the role of national clin...

🥳Congratulations to Professor James Dodd, our respiratory theme co-lead, who will be taking up the role of national clinical lead within the recently launched Respiratory Transformation Partnership. #HealthResearch #COPD
For more info visit👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/bristol-brc-...

Patients felt well‑informed when undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, Bristol study finds - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre A study supported by NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Bristol found that clear conversations before surgery were linked with:  High confidence among patients about their decision to proceed with surge...

🚨 New paper alert!
Study we supported found clear conversations before surgery were linked with:
1️⃣ High patient confidence about decision to undergo surgery
2️⃣ Low conflict regarding choice to proceed
3️⃣ High confidence risks had been adequately explained
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/patients-fel...

Bristol BRC theme leads awarded NIHR Senior Investigator status - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Professor Russ Jago and Professor Nick Maskell, who both co-lead Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) themes, have been awarded Senior Investigator status by the National Institute for Health and ...

Congratulations to Profs Russ Jago and Nick Maskell, 2 of our theme leads who have been awarded @nihr.bsky.social Senior Investigator status. We are very proud of you both!
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/bristol-brc-...

How does ROHHAD syndrome impact children and families? - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre ROHHAD (rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic dysfunction, autonomic dysregulation) syndrome is a rare and life-threatening condition affecting children. It can develop very suddenly ...

🚨New project on our website!

How does ROHHAD syndrome impact families and children?

ROHHAD is a rare + life-threatening condition affecting children. It can develop very suddenly and leads to rapid and extreme weight gain.

Project page👇
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/how-does-roh...

NIHR Health and Care Professionals Internships Programme – South West Central - NIHR Programmes South West Central Research Development for Health and Care Professionals We are now open for applications, Follow the link here to complete an application form for the 2026/2027 NIHR HCP Internship Programme. Applications will close on the 25th May 2026 About the Programme...

NIHR Health and Care Professionals Internships Programme open for applications! 📢

Calling health & care professionals in Glos, Bristol, N. Somerset, S. Glos, Bath, Swindon, Wiltshire & Dorset - this is a fantastic opportunity to develop your research knowledge & skills.

👉 tinyurl.com/bd5p84tt

Changing eating patterns in response to exercise - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Regular exercise and a healthy balanced diet are key to managing weight. However, our recent research suggests people may consume more or unhealthier food on days they exercise. This is because they b...

🚨New project!🚨

Do our eating patterns change when we exercise?
Researchers from our Diet and Physical Activity team have designed a four-week intervention to explore if eating patterns change in response to exercise.

Find out more:
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/research/res...

Insights from the UK’s first womb transplants - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre A new NIHR Bristol BRC study has captured the experiences of women and clinicians involved in the first uterine transplants (UTx) to take place in the UK. The research team, who are part of the NIHR B...

Difficult choices and uncertainty - @daisyelliott.bsky.social and the research team interviewed clinicians and women involved in groundbreaking uterine transplants taking place in the UK over a period of 6 years.

Find out more:
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/news/insight...

@plosmedicine.org

The genetic architecture of postoperative delirium after major surgery and its relationship with nonpostoperative neurocognitive conditions: A genome-wide association study Richard A Armstrong and colleagues investigate the genetic architecture of postoperative delirium after major surgery and its relationship with related cognitiveconditions.

The new paper, published in @plosmedicine.org, was led by Richard Armstrong @paulyousefi.bsky.social Ben Gibbison, Golam Khandaker and Tom Gaunt. Read it here:
journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...

Unpicking the genetics of postoperative delirium - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre The genetic variations that might make someone more likely to experience postoperative delirium are explored in a new Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) paper published in PLOS Medicine. Researc...

What are the genes that make you more likely to experience postoperative delirium?

Our Translational Data Science Theme researchers performed a genome-wide association study to unpick the genetics of postoperative delirium and its links to Alzheimer's.
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/unpicking-th...

Towards intraoperative measurements: reflections from SPOC-TRC Measure Twice Cut Once workshop - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Reflections on the recent Surgery and Perioperative Care-Translational Research Collaboration (SPOC-TRC) workshop hosted by Tim Denison from the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Deena Harji fr...

Towards intraoperative measurements: reflections from the recent SPOC-TRC Measure Twice Cut Once workshop hosted by Tim Denison from the @oxfordbrc.bsky.social, Deena Harji from Manchester BRC and Jane Blazeby from Bristol BRC.
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/towards-intr...

Using directed acyclic graphs to determine whether multiple imputation or subsample-multiple imputation estimates of an exposure-outcome association are unbiased Abstract. Missing data are a pervasive problem in epidemiology, with multiple imputation (MI) a commonly used analysis method. MI is valid when data are mi

Congrats to the research team @pmadleydowd.bsky.social, Rachael Hughes, Maya Mathur, Jon Heron and Kate Tilling
Read the full paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology here:
academic.oup.com/aje/article/...

Improving how missing data is handled in studies - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre A new tool to help statisticians decide how to handle missing data in studies has been published by Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) researchers. In health research, it’s common to have missin...

🛠️New tool to help statisticians decide how to handle missing study data.

🎯Multiple imputation (MI) is where missing values are filled using stats techniques. The tool uses directed acyclic graphs to help decide whether MI will lead to misleading results.

www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/improving-ho...

Using AI to help with quality assurance in surgical studies - Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Surgery improves and saves millions of lives each year. Many operations are tested in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which compare treatments to find out which works best. However, surgical RCTs...

Could AI improve quality assurance (QA) in surgical studies?

A new project just published on our website exploring whether AI can help analyse QA videos more quickly and efficiently.

Led by Natalie Blencowe.

#AI #SurgicalResearch #ArtificialIntelligence
www.bristolbrc.nihr.ac.uk/using-ai-to-...

Linking data to understand mental health care - southwestsde-nhs-uk Mental health records from a major trust in the South West are to be linked to other datasets to unlock new research, thanks to a new project.

We're teaming up with @bristolbrc.bsky.social to develop a secure mental health data pipeline. It will enable de-identified electronic patient records from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust (AWP) to be securely available for research via the SDE.
www.southwestsde.nhs.uk/understandin...