Michelle Collinson

Profile

I am an experienced Statistician and triallist with over 18 years’ experience of successful design, implementation and delivery of charity and NIHR funded clinical trials research. Working within the Complex Interventions Division at CTRU I have collaborated with clinicians and researchers across a variety of areas including cancer, older people, diet & obesity, mental health and skin. My significant research experience extends to the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of novel and efficient clinical trials including large definitive phase III trials (encompassing complex designs such as cluster randomised, factorial, fractional-factorial, balanced incomplete block), in addition to cohort, observational, pilot and feasibility studies.

I am the senior strategic and statistical lead for the clinical trials portfolios of research focussing on the evaluation of complex interventions in people living with and beyond cancer, palliative care, older people and those with multiple long-term conditions which include supportive, psychological, behavioural and lifestyle interventions. I am responsible for the development of funding applications, oversight of research within the portfolios and mentorship and development of trial statisticians.

My methodological research interests include the use of routinely collected healthcare systems data to inform trial efficiency, the application of innovative methods to optimise complex interventions (Multiphase Optimisation Strategy) and the use of adaptive methods to evaluate complex intervention evaluations including Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomised Trials (SMARTs) and Studies within Trials.

Nationally, I am a member of the General Funding Panel of the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme and a core member of the Cross-NIHR Collaboration on Multiple Long-term Conditions Interventions and Preventions Workstream. I also serve on a number of national Trial Oversight Committees including Data Monitoring Committees and Trial Steering Committees, for national research funders.

Responsibilities

• Lead for Cancer, Palliative Care, Older People and MLTC Complex Intervention research within CTRU
• Design, implementation, delivery and reporting of clinical trials and related research
• Collaborating with leading clinicians/researchers to develop successful grant applications

Research interests

I am interested in the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials and other research involving complex interventions in people living with and beyond cancer, palliative care, older people and multple long-term conditions.

My current grants include:

• A cluster randomised pilot trial exploring a cancer pain assessment toolkit in oncology outpatient services (CAPTURE – Yorkshire Cancer Research, Scientific Lead)
• A cluster randomised phase III trial evaluating an obesity prevention programme in children (HENRY III – NIHR PHR, Scientfic Lead)
• A programme of research investigating supported exercise training for men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy (STAMINA – NIHR PGfAR)
• NIHR Cross-NIHR Collaboration on MLTC Interventions and Prevention Workstream core team (NIHR Team Science)
• Exploring the association between physical activity interventions and development of risk factors for multiple long-term conditions in younger people (aged 18-35) with mental health conditions (NIHR NIHR MLTC CNC Pump-Prime)
• ROSETA Recruitment SWAT (University of York / NIHR Fellowship, Scientific Lead)
• Comprehensive geriatric assessment for frail older heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (CHART – NIHR HTA, Scientific Lead)

In addition I am the Scientic Lead on the following projects:

• Refining and Optimising a behavioural intervention to Support Endocrine Therapy Adherence (ROSETA – NIHR Fellowship)
• Adapting and evaluating a complex adaptable intervention to reduce opioid prescribing in primary care (Opioid SMART – NIHR Fellowship)
• Gene expression subtypes of Urothelial cancer: Stratified Treatment and Oncological outcomes (GUSTO – NIHR EME)
• Prehabilitation Radiotherapy Exercise, smoking Habit cessation and Balanced diet Study (PREHABS – YCR)

Co-investigator (Co-I)

• GUSTO: Gene expression subtypes of Urothelial cancer: Stratified Treatment and Oncological outcomes

Qualifications

• MSc Statistics (University of Kent at Canterbury)
• BSc Mathematics & Statistics (University of Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Professional memberships

• General Funding Panel of NIHR HTA Programme
• Cross-NIHR Multiple Long-term Conditions Interventions and Preventions Workstream

Student education

I am the co-lead for the CTRU CPD Masterclass in the Design and Conduct of Complex Intervention Evaluations.

I provide teaching on grant application development as part of the Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate in Health Research hosted by the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences.

I also led the development and delivery of five Yorkshire Cancer Research funded workshops focussed on introducing clinicians working in oncology to the design and conduct of complex intervention trials, pilot and feasibility studies, and grant application development.

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Clinical Trials Research
• Populations
• Cancer
• Palliative care