Mrs Elizabeth Brettell BSc

• BSc Hons (Tech.) in Applied Biology, Cardiff University, 1994

Elizabeth qualified with a BSc Hons (Tech.) in Applied Biology from Cardiff University in 1994. She joined the Academic Department of Geriatric Medicine at Selly Oak Hospital as a Research Assistant working on a study assessing the impact of a lifestyle intervention for patients aged over 65 who had been admitted to hospital with myocardial infarction or unstable angina.

Elizabeth has worked at BCTU since 1998 co-ordinating large randomised controlled clinical trials in Alzheimer’s Disease, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, women’s health and renal disease. She initially co-ordinated the UK multi-centre AD2000 study which assessed the safety and efficacy of donepezil and aspirin in Alzheimer’s disease, the results of which were published in the name of the AD2000 collaborative group in the Lancet in 2004 generating worldwide interest. Elizabeth then managed, administered and co-ordinated the MRC/NCRI Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) trials portfolio. The portfolio included three large international trials, and the annual follow-up of all patients recruited to AML trials over the past thirty years. Elizabeth’s co-ordination of both AD2000 and the AML trials has brought together reliable clinical trial evidence to guide future prescribing practice within the NHS.

Elizabeth then managed the set-up of the new BCTU renal trials portfolio including the ASTRAL, GloMY, ECUSTEC , PEXIVAS, eGFR-C, STOP-ACEi, REPROM and the PREDNOS and PREDNOS 2 trials. She continues to manage and supervise these trials in her role as Trials Management Team Leader, providing trial oversight and bring comprehensive expertise in design and conduct of managing NIHR-funded trials.

BCTU Research Methods in Clinical Trials

• Renal Disease

In her role as Trials Management Team Leader Elizabeth has provided trial oversight and brought comprehensive expertise in design and conduct of managing the following trials in renal disease:

ASTRAL - Angioplasty and STent for Renal Arterial Lesions.

PEXIVAS - An international randomised controlled trial of plasma exchange and glucocorticoid dosing in the treatment of anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody associated vasculitis.

PREDNOS - Long-term tapering versus standard prednisolone (steroid) therapy for the treatment of the initial episode of childhood nephrotic syndrome: national multicentre randomised double blind trial. 

PREDNOS 2: Short course daily prednisolone therapy at the time of upper respiratory tract infection in children with relapsing steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome.

ECUSTEC: Eculizumab in Shiga-toxin producing E.Coli Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (ECUSTEC): A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

eGFR-C: Accuracy of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation using creatinine and cystatin C and albuminuria for monitoring disease progression in patients with stage 3 CKD: Prospective longitudinal study in a multi-ethnic population.

STOP-ACEi: Multi-centre Randomised Controlled Trial of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) / Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB) withdrawal in advanced renal disease.

REPROM: The use of an electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measure in the Management of Patients with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease.

• Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Elizabeth set-up and co-ordinated the OPT trial which was a randomised controlled trial of Outpatient Polyp Treatment for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. 

•  Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML)

Elizabeth administered and co-ordinated the MRC/NCRI AML trials portfolio. This portfolio included AML14, AML15 and AML16.

• Alzheimer’s disease

Elizabeth was co-ordinator of the AD2000 trial which assessed the safety and efficacy of donepezil and aspirin in Alzheimer’s disease.