Patient, Carer and Public Involvement and Engagement

Prestigious accolade goes to University of Birmingham researcher 

Dr Ye Htun Oo has been awarded the 2016 Sir Francis Avery Jones Medal from the British Society of Gastroenterology in recognition of his T-cell research, and an innovative study he is due to lead starting in July 2016. This award is highly prestigious within its field and is great recognition of the research undertaken by Dr Oo and his team, which is supported by funding from the Medical Research Council and the NIHR Birmingham Liver BRU. Dr Oo is a clinician scientist and his research programme involves basic science with translational applications in understanding regulatory T-cell biology in the human liver, with a view to using them as a cell therapy without needing immunosuppression.

Post graduate Researcher wins University of Birmingham Storytelling Researcher Video Competition

PhD student Joe Tickle has won first place in the 2015 Storytelling Researcher Competition for his excellent and creative video on his research into liver disease.

2016

'Meet the Expert' at ThinkTank Science Museum, Birmingham, 27th October 2016

Autumn half term means families will be flocking to ThinkTank to meet experts from the Medical School at the University of Birmingham, and children can practice being a mini-scientist and a mini-doctor for the day. This is a great opportunity to light a spark in your child's career path (and being a doctor or scientist is slightly more obtainable than being an astronaut!). Activities will stimulate young and older minds, and there will be lots of fun games and tips to help ensure your children stay healthy, and take that knowledge through to adulthood.   

Meet our experts at the MAC, Cannon Hill Park, Tuesday 7th June 2016. Open to All - No Cost!

For the first time our expert scientists and clinicians will be teaming up with NIHR CLAHRC WM for the day and attending the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) at Cannon Hill Park. Come and meet our experts, find out about our scientific research into liver disease, and discuss simple ways to help you stay healthy! 

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Research Day and International Clinical Trials Day - Open to All, No Cost!

This popular annual event shares with the public a whole range of research taking place within the medical facilities at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the laboratories at the University of Birmingham.  Everyone is welcome to come and take a look at our stands, which include lots of fun activities to make medical and scientific research understandable to everyone, including some giant inflatables and medical tests for those brave enough to try them!  This year's event took place on Friday 20th May 2016, from 10am until 3pm.

2017

University of Birmingham Community Day - 11th June 2017 - Join 15,000 people who attend this amazing event each year!  Open to All - No Cost!

This is one of the most popular events in the University's calendar and our public engagement team love taking part and meeting members of the local community and showing them in easy to understand terms, just what research we are going and how it can impact their lives! Everyone, of any age, is welcome to come and take a look at our stand, which include lots of fun activities. We promise you'll love it!

PSC Support is a patient led support group for people suffering from the inflammatory liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

Support group meetings are hosted annually by the University of Birmingham with some of the world's leading researchers (who just happen to be based in Birmingham!) presenting and taking your questions.  In 2015 this event will take place on Saturday 18th July in the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.  If you wish to find out more or reserve your place and attend, please contact Martine Walmsley, Chair of PSC support, on martine@pscsupport.org.uk.  Dr Gideon Hirschfield will be one of the key speakers at this event.  Gideon was featured in the latest issue of Liver-Focus talking about his work and what inspires him, and one of his talks from the June 2014 PSC support meeting can be viewed.

Birmingham are also a participating centre for the National PSC Genetics study.

The PSC Support newsletter has up-to-date information for all events and includes contact details.  

This video is the perfect introduction to the liver, what it does, why you need it, and the diseases that can cause liver problems.  It also gives you a quick introduction to the work of our researchers.  If you are interested in finding out even more, then visit https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/liver-disease

This is a more in depth look at our work.  Researchers from the NIHR Birmingham Liver Biomedical Research Unit introduce you to their work with patients, clinical trials, and the basic laboratory science being undertaken. This is an insight into a world leading liver research facility.  If you want to find out more, email LiverResearch@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Information on current and past current trials can be found in this short video which discusses (1) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, (2) the use of stem cells to repair liver damage, and (3) blocking Hepatitis C particles infecting a new liver after transplantation.

The NIHR Birmingham Liver BRU undertake continual research into the causes of liver disease, and potential new drugs or treatments.

In April 2015, the results of a clinical trial looking into a possible treatment for NASH were presented to the world's press.  A plain-English summary of the findings of this study can be found here, together with contact details for further queries.  

If you would like to find out what clinical trials we are currently running, please email LiverResearch@contacts.bham.ac.uk