Research and Development UHMBT

Research and Development UHMBT Research and Development at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust operates across a large geographical footprint.

We actively conduct research at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General Hospital, Westmorland Hospital and Queen Victoria Hospital. Research is essential to help improve current treatments, find new and better ways to treat illnesses and provide better care for patients. Without research we would not have the pioneering and vital medications and treatments that we currently use in health care.

At University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust, the research team works alongside clinical care teams to improve the quality of patient care, as our patents health and wellbeing is fundamental to us. We operate across a footprint of 4 sites: Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Furness General Hospital, Westmorland General Hospital, and Queen Victoria Hospital. Our Research and Development department hosts a range of innovative research trials and contributes to vital research, used to develop and create new and better treatments and preventative methods. We are proud to support research across the following domains; oncology, rheumatology, respiratory, stroke, Covid19, Diabetes, Gastroenterology as well as various multidisciplinary health service improvement studies. Our studies include researching new medications through drug trials, sample collection trials, observational and data collection trials. Thousands of patients dedicate their time each year to helping support some of the most cutting-edge research available. This means we are able to trial new medications and medical devices with patients who can benefit from them, and provide vital information and treatments for future generations. We work closely with other NHS organisations, our local Universities, local research organisations and collaborate internationally with expert researchers across the world and strive to improve patients healthcare and support NHS and health organisations.

We are delighted to share that the Research Department has successfully recruited its first participant to the COLOPREVE...
24/04/2026

We are delighted to share that the Research Department has successfully recruited its first participant to the COLOPREVENT study—an exciting milestone for our team and an important step forward in advancing colorectal cancer prevention research 🔬🩺

COLO-PREVENT is a large UK-wide clinical trial, led at our trust by Mr Vijay Gangalam, investigating new ways to prevent bowel cancer. It focuses on “therapeutic prevention,” exploring whether commonly used drugs or dietary supplements can reduce the development or recurrence of bowel polyps—small growths in the bowel that can develop into cancer over time.

The study is designed as a randomised platform trial embedded within the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. By recruiting patients identified through screening as being at higher risk, COLO-PREVENT aims to improve long-term prevention strategies and reduce the number of people who go on to develop colorectal cancer.

This achievement would not have been possible without the invaluable support of the BCSP team. Their dedication and diligence in identifying and referring eligible patients have been instrumental in enabling this first recruitment, and we are extremely grateful for their continued collaboration.

Susie Crayton, Research Practitioner, commented: "Recruiting our first participant to the COLOPREVENT study is a significant and rewarding milestone for the team. It reflects the hard work and commitment of colleagues across departments, particularly the BCSP team, whose support has been essential. We look forward to building on this momentum as the study progresses."

You can find out more about the study here: https://www.coloprevent.co.uk/

We look forward to further recruitment in the coming weeks and to sharing more updates as the study develops.

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This week we had a great collaborative meeting with the NIHR Lancashire CRF (Clinical Research Facility) team from Royal...
17/04/2026

This week we had a great collaborative meeting with the NIHR Lancashire CRF (Clinical Research Facility) team from Royal Preston Hospital.

Nichola Verstraelen, Head of Research, said: "It was really great to meet with our local CRF team and scope out how we can work closer together to create more research opportunities for patients living within our geographical region."

Watch this space for collaboration 👀

Labour Ward Coordinator Rebecca has completed a placement with the Research and Development department supporting the se...
01/04/2026

Labour Ward Coordinator Rebecca has completed a placement with the Research and Development department supporting the setup of new Maternity Research Studies.🤱🍼

Head of Department Nichola says: “We are thrilled that Rebecca was able to join us and provide extra support to the team. We are also delighted to be setting up our first study for pregnancy across the trust. The future looks bright. We cannot wait to be able to offer more studies across midwifery services in our region. Watch this space.”

Lead Research Nurse Louise says that Rebecca’s in-depth knowledge of Maternity Services has been invaluable. She adds “I wish her every success as she goes on to forge new research opportunities.”

Rebecca has said that she is grateful for her time in the department:
“I had the opportunity to work alongside an inspiring team. Their support, knowledge and passion made the experience rewarding and impactful.

“I gained valuable insight into clinical research and how it can be meaningfully integrated into maternity care to improve outcomes and experiences. Thank you to the R&D team.”

Thank you, Rebecca!

It’s so great to be able to share that we have now recruited patient number 100 to the GenOMICC Research Trial, a study ...
04/02/2026

It’s so great to be able to share that we have now recruited patient number 100 to the GenOMICC Research Trial, a study which aims to unite clinicians and scientists from around the world to find the genetic factors that determine outcome in critical illness 🧬 🩺

Infectious diseases affect millions of people around the world every year. Most cases are mild, but some people become very unwell and are admitted to intensive care. Our genes (DNA) can determine how much critical illness affects us. GenOMICC want to find the genes that cause some people to be more sick by comparing the DNA of critically-ill patients with members of the general population. By finding these genes, we may be able to develop better treatments for patients in the future.

Research Nurse Louise has worked on GenOMICC for three years. She says that being part of the study has been immensely rewarding, especially being able to offer patients in North Lancs and South Cumbria the chance to be part of research, when historically they would have had to travel further afield.

“I am very proud of all our Diverse Speciality Research Team at UHMBT. This achievement could not have happened without each and every one of them.”

Find out more about the GenOMICC Research Trial here: https://genomicc.org/

We are so happy to share that recruited thirty participants to a recently closed prostate cancer research trial that had...
28/01/2026

We are so happy to share that recruited thirty participants to a recently closed prostate cancer research trial that had an initial target of ten 🎉🎉

The goal of this study is to generate real-word evidence about the population, effectiveness, and persistence of a certain treatment in patients with advanced hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

Professor Alison Birtle was the Principal Investigator of this trial. She says how important it is to be able offer research opportunities such as this to our patients and how great it was to be able to over-recruit meaning it could be shared with three times as many patients as planned.

“I am thrilled that we over-recruited and contributed to making the UK the highest recruiting site in Europe. This is a tribute to our research team, our patients and their families.”

Please note, we are closed of the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays.Have a safe and merry season 🎄 🎅 ⛄ 🎆 🍾
19/12/2025

Please note, we are closed of the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays.

Have a safe and merry season 🎄 🎅 ⛄ 🎆 🍾

26/11/2025

What a great day!

We had a fantastic time attending the 350 careers fair at the University of Cumbria and entertaining over 500 students a...
26/11/2025

We had a fantastic time attending the 350 careers fair at the University of Cumbria and entertaining over 500 students at our Research and Development stall. We consented willing ‘participants’ to our randomised ‘study’, the CHOC trial - full title ‘Chocolate Happiness on Consumption’. The participants were talked through a consent process and then got ‘randomised’ (randomly assigned) to an arm of the study. The arms were ‘Control’ (where the participant received nothing), Arm A (participants received a Christmas pudding chocolate ball) or Arm B (sprout chocolate ball). The study then measured the ‘happiness’ outcome of each arm 🍫🍫🍫

Where this was both a fun (and tasty!) experiment, it served an important purpose. CHOC reflected the processes involved in a real clinical trial and helped demonstrate their broad structure to students who may be interested in going into research in the future.

We loved meeting so many engaged, motivated students. We received a lot of good feedback and enthusiasm at our stall (not just because of the prospect of chocolate) and it reminded us exactly why we love doing events like this.

We were lucky enough to be supported by Caroline Winckley, the Learning and Development Facilitator from the North West Regional Research Delivery Network . She brought a wealth of experience and knowledge from her role within the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and made a valuable contribution to the success of our day.

We would like to say a huge thank-you to everyone who stopped by to chat, learn more about our job roles, necessary skills and what research in the NHS is all about. We hope we sparked some ideas about where your future could take you! 🌟

Here’s to exciting career journeys! 🚀

See the official video here 👉 https://buff.ly/ebHhZXZ

18/11/2025

Big news! 🚨

People at high risk of lung cancer will soon be able to receive the first ever experimental vaccine designed to prevent the disease, in a world-first clinical trial.

A research team from the University of Oxford and University College London have developed a vaccine called ‘LungVax’ for people at high risk of lung cancer. The scientists believe it could work by priming the immune system to recognise and kill abnormal lung cells before they become cancerous.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 20% of cancer deaths each year. Because the disease can be difficult to diagnose and treat, only around 1 in 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer survive it for 10 years or more.

This new funding, from us and the CRIS Cancer Foundation, will support a clinical trial for LungVax which could begin as early as next year.

UHMBT R & D are beyond pleased to share that we are the first site in the UK to consent and recruit a participant to the...
11/11/2025

UHMBT R & D are beyond pleased to share that we are the first site in the UK to consent and recruit a participant to the AIRTIVITY Research Trial. This trial is investigating whether a certain treatment improves the lives of people with bronchiectasis 🫁

Research Nurse Kerry explains why studies like AIRTIVITY are so important:

“Bronchiectasis is a disease with limited effective treatments, so to be part of developing a potential new treatment is very exciting for our patients. It’s also very pleasing to be able to offer patients in north Lancs and South Cumbria the chance to be part of research when historically patients have had to travel further afield.”

he goes on to say that AIRTIVITY “is also the first commercial respiratory trial we have conducted at both FGH and RLI, which is a big milestone for the trust. This could not have been achieved without having our Respiratory Research Nurse Rose based at FGH supported by the rest of the delivery team.”

“I am very proud of all our respiratory research team at UHMB. This achievement could not have happened without each and every one of them.”

Find out more here https://buff.ly/H4V3Ila

R & D Governance Lead Nic Mackenzie has completed the incredible achievement of walking 10 miles every day for 31 days i...
07/11/2025

R & D Governance Lead Nic Mackenzie has completed the incredible achievement of walking 10 miles every day for 31 days in October to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK 👟 💜

Right now, half of people with pancreatic cancer die within three months of diagnosis. Families are left with only hope to hold onto. Nic's JustGiving page is still open and accepting donations.

By donating, you're making support available for people now and funding world-leading research to find that breakthrough in new treatments which is so desperately needed.

Well done Nic!

Find out more and donate here 👉 https://buff.ly/PtVGBdF

UHMBT R&D are thrilled to share that we're one of the top three recruiters for the Enabling Genomic Testing in Cancer of...
05/11/2025

UHMBT R&D are thrilled to share that we're one of the top three recruiters for the Enabling Genomic Testing in Cancer of Unknown Primary (EGG-CUP) Study. EGG-CUP is a multi-site study running in the northwest of England, sponsored by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. NIHR and Roche Products Ltd provided funding for the study. Roche also provided testing of blood or tissue samples collected from cancer of unknown (CUP) patients, with additional support for research practitioner staff cost for The Christie.

A patient is diagnosed with ‘Cancer of Unknown Primary’ (CUP) when cancer has spread to another body part and doctors can't tell where it began. It remains the 6th most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Treatment options remain limited due to difficulties in determining the primary site of the tumour and the lack of access to validated biomarkers. The emergence of liquid biopsies (sequence DNA in a blood test) as a source of biomarkers is gaining rapid ground and this study aims to explore the potential utility of liquid biopsies in CUP.

Research Practitioner Laura has worked on EGG-CUP since the study opened at UHMBT at the beginning of 2025.

She explains that it is a very “insightful study.”

“The goal is to obtain more detailed genetic profiling. This information may assist in identifying the primary cancer site, thereby facilitating more targeted and effective treatment options for the patient.”

She says that her favourite aspect of the study is “being able to offer patients, through the study protocol, the opportunity to have additional tests that they may not have been able to access under standard care.”

Additionally, she values the chance to expand her knowledge of CUP.

“Research to support CUP patients and their diagnosis (with the aim to personalise their treatment) is invaluable. There are currently very few CUP studies, so being able to take part in one is both exciting and rewarding. Being in the top three recruiting sites is also something to be immensely proud of.”

Find out more about the EGG-CUP study here:

https://buff.ly/OI0tRgK
https://buff.ly/4Pwa5bl
https://buff.ly/QW96DZr
https://buff.ly/AKhxE5i

To keep up to date with all news from the UHMBT Research Dept, follow us:
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