News
Researcher perspectives: Aaron Mitchell
Aaron Mitchell is one of our PhD students. He is exploring the relationship between obesity and colorectal cancer progression using genetic epidemiology and cell biology. He is supervised by Professors Lavinia Paternoster, Emma Vincent, Gibran Hemani and Richard Martin. In July 2026 we spoke to Aaron about his academic journey,…
Open-source atlas aims to improve use of epigenetic tools in paediatric studies
Researchers at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and University of Bristol worked together to complete the first systematic review of DNA methylation profile scores (MPSs) used in children and young people. The review highlights opportunities for earlier disease research and prevention, while warning that many…
AI and saliva proteins could help improve early detection of head and neck cancer
Researchers supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Bristol have shown that artificial intelligence could help improve the early detection of head and neck cancer using saliva samples. Crucially they’ve demonstrated this can happen even when only small numbers of patient samples are available for study. In…
Weight loss could play role in managing patients with heart failure and obesity
A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that the obesity-survival paradox may be misleading. For over 20 years, doctors have been puzzled by an apparent paradox. Patients living with heart failure and overweight (or obesity) often seemed to survive longer…
Accelerating precision orthopaedic surgery using automated imaging and linked clinical data
A new NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) research project to improve surgical planning and precision using automated image analysis plans to use the South West Secure Data Environment (SDE) to link clinical imaging with electronic patient records. The project is led by Mr Simon Abram. Linking…
Unpicking the genetics of postoperative delirium
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. Researchers from the BRC’s Translational Data Science Theme performed a genome-wide association study or GWAS. This type of study uses genetic…
Improving how missing data is handled in studies
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 missing information in study data, especially in large studies about the risk factors for disease. This missing data can…
Understanding mental health care across the whole system through linked data
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. It has historically been difficult to make use of routinely collected mental health for research. Data about mental health is amongst the most…
Booster jabs reduce the risks of COVID-19 deaths, study finds
Booster vaccines reduced the risk of COVID 19–related hospitalisation and death, according to a new study of over 3 million adults who had the autumn 2022 vaccine in England. The research, led by the universities of Bristol and Oxford, provides further evidence of the effectiveness of booster vaccination against COVID-19.