Is a decline in physical health as we age inevitable? Lifespans around the world are increasing, but we are spending our additional years in poor health. How can declining physical capacity be slowed, or even reversed as we age?
How can we help patients with DNA repair deficiency syndrome? Whilst ‘rare’ there are over 7,000 different rare human diseases, of which 80% have a genetic basis. The majority have no effective treatment.
How can we make surgical outcomes safer across the world? Researchers are addressing the critical need to reduce inequalities in surgical care in low- and middle-Income countries to improve mortality rates and outcomes.
Why are some people more susceptible to the long-term health effects of COVID-19? Through a major new £2.2m government-funded research project, researchers are investigating the underlying causes of Long COVID to improve the care and treatment of non-hospitalised patients.
How can we stop mothers dying unnecessarily in childbirth? Every six minutes, a mother dies from losing too much blood while giving birth. The tragedy is that this is almost always preventable. Research shows that 99% of maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with very few deaths in high-income countries like the UK.
How can we understand the role of asymptomatic transmission? High-quality antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 are critical if we want to understand how the virus spreads through the population.
Why do some people suffer from life-threatening COVID-19 while others show no symptoms? With the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still holding the world in its grip, identifying how our immune system responds to the virus is critical to understanding the unknowns surrounding COVID-19.
How is sequencing SARS-CoV-2 informing public health controls? Our researchers are at the heart of a scientific partnership using genetic sequencing to understand how COVID-19 spreads and evolves.
From hard-to-treat tumours to child-appropriate medical formulations, how do you achieve smarter drug delivery? Researchers are challenging inefficiencies in current medicines and are providing solutions to benefit patients.
How can we safely transplant discarded livers to help more patients? Liver disease is a rising public health threat, with a shortage of donated organs for those in need. Researchers have proven that technical advances now allow for new eligibility criteria to enable once-discarded livers to be safely used.
How do you diagnose a mild traumatic brain injury on the sports field to prevent further injury? Despite risking further damage, sports players often minimise symptoms from a blow to the head in order to stay in the game.
How can we accelerate research into the workings of brain and body? Researchers are exploring the frontiers of neuroscience and maternal health - uncovering new ways of understanding how our brains and bodies function, whilst benefiting from an innovative transatlantic research partnership.
How will understanding early immune dysfunction lead to improved outcomes for young people with psychosis? Every year, around 8,000 young people in the UK experience a first episode of psychosis. How will new insights improve recovery outcomes?
How will our understanding of BRCA1 provide insight into predisposition risk for cancer? A female with a BRCA1 mutation has up to a 90% chance of developing breast cancer. How will a deeper understanding of the gene provide a more accurate predisposition risk for cancer?
How can we harness molecular mechanisms to combat AMR? Researchers at the University of Birmingham are contributing to our understanding of how resistance emerges at the level of cell wall manipulation.
How is a new treatment for C. diff paving the way to potentially treat a host of other conditions and infections? Clostridium difficile infection continues to remain an unpleasant and potentially fatal infection that occurs mainly in elderly and other vulnerable patient groups. Academics are investigating how the novel approach of faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) - used to treat C. diff - can alleviate other bowel conditions.
How can we improve the quality of life for women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding? Menstruation is a necessary, natural cycle that affects half the world’s population. For some women it can have a significant impact on their quality of life, often suffering in silence.
Why is periodontitis a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and death? Researchers are examining the real and significant impact inflammation of periodontal tissues can have on the body, particularly when observed in combination with other non-communicable diseases.
How do you prevent ineffective treatments in patients with a difficult to treat disease? HPV related cancers are on the increase across the world. Despite this, funding and public awareness lags behind. Only complex, innovative trials will tackle head and neck cancer on a global scale.
Are quantum sensors the key to reducing the public health burden of dementia? Innovation in quantum technology will improve our understanding of everything from basic cognition to dementia and ADHD.
How can sepsis care bundles be adapted to communities with poor resources? Maternal sepsis accounts for over 10% of maternal deaths worldwide.While sepsis bundles have been a real success story but they are not yet fit for purpose across the globe in resource poor settings.
Stopping outbreaks becoming epidemics The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was the deadliest occurrence of the disease since its discovery in 1976. Since the first confirmed case was recorded 23 March 2014, over 11,000 people died as the result of the virus.How did Birmingham researchers place genomic sequencing at the heart of the outbreak response?