LICAMM our research

We have a strong track record in cardiovascular data analytics and clinical trials having raised over £14 million in external grant income in this area in the last decade.

Our cardiovascular epidemiology focus is the efficient use of observational and randomised data at scale to deliver population-based studies of cardiovascular quality of care and clinical outcomes, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, BHF and Wellcome Trust linked into the MRC-funded Leeds Institute of Data Analytics. We use multi-source electronic health records for trial design, outcomes capture and taxonomy of cardiovascular disease. This provides evidence for commissioners, hospitals, clinicians and patients to make informed policy decisions about the need for and location of cardiovascular care.

For example, using >179,000 patient records from the UK national heart attack register we showed that the routine use of beta-blocking drugs after a heart attack was not beneficial (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2017). We were also able to better understand why survival following a heart attack is increasing by evaluating >0.4 million patient records (Journal of the American Medical Association 2016).

Additionally, we have a strong tradition of leading impactful clinical trials from Leeds: for example, the landmark AIRE study, published in The Lancet in 1993 (and again as AIRE extension study in 1997) and named after the river running through Leeds, demonstrated a clear survival advantage for ACE inhibitors in patients with heart failure after a heart attack. We now have a range of large clinical trials underway addressing important questions in cardiac, vascular and metabolic disease, including: CMR, heart failure, pacemaker programming, glucose control following heart attack, maternal diabetes, nutrition, diabetic foot infection, and vasculitis these trials are funded by the NIHR, BHF and MRC in conjunction with the Leeds Clinical Trials Unit (Link to CTU). Recently, the VINDICATE study, led by Klaus Witte and Mark Kearney demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation in patients with heart failure improved left ventricular structure and function – equivalent to that seen in cardiac resynchronisation therapy. The recent appointment of Alex Frangi has opened an intriguing new world of in-silico trials to add to our existing strength in clinical trial methodology in Leeds.

Example Investigators
Professor Alistair Hall
Professor Alejandro Frangi
Professor Ann Morgan
Professor Chris Gale
Professor Eleanor Scott
Professor John Greenwood
Professor Julian Scott
Professor Laura Hardie
Professor Mark Kearney
Professor Mark Gilthorpe
Professor Ramzi Ajjan
Professor Sven Plein
Dr Andrew Walker
Dr Darren Greenwood
Mr David Russell
Dr John Gierula
Dr Klaus Witte
Dr Marlous Hall
Dr Richard Cubbon
Dr Richard Feltbower

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