Our research

We conduct translational research across a broad range of neurosurgical conditions. We work closely with patients and the public to guide our research objectives, methods, outcomes, and communication.

Explore our research areas and publications using the tabs below.

 

We use cutting-edge research methods to advance biological, clinical and epidemiological understanding of brain tumours. Our work in glioma stem cell biology focuses on characterising molecular variations between tumours in different patients to enable personalised cancer care. Novel biomarkers for brain tumour detection using spectroscopy and liquid biopsy are also areas of active research. Drug discovery is an important aspect of our research, and we use next-generation sequencing data and machine learning methods to enable high-throughput in silico drug screening algorithms. To evaluate clinical determinants of treatment outcomes, we curate a database containing detailed information from >1,500 consecutive brain tumour patients diagnosed in Southeast Scotland. We use advanced statistical models to assess aspects of clinical care that can have an immediate impact on patient outcomes and test hypotheses generated from preclinical studies. Routine healthcare data constitutes a major focus of our work, which allows us to examine changes in clinical practice and patient outcomes at the population level. Our unit also supports the SPRING trial, Tessa Jowell BRAIN MATRIX trial, and FUTURE-GB trial.

Our brain tumour research portfolio spanning preclinical studies to randomised controlled trials demonstrates our commitment to translational research. Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre is a Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, and our high-quality clinical care is recognised by the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status.

Selected recent publications

 


We lead the NIHR-funded DENS trial (NIHR131118) that aims to determine whether earlier removal of a hard collar is associated with a better quality of life in older and frail patients with a fracture of the odontoid process bone in the neck. In collaboration with the British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative, members of our team lead the core study group in the Understanding Cauda Equina Study (UCES). UCES is a prospective multi-centre national study that describes clinical practice, patient outcomes and determinants of outcomes in people who underwent surgery for cauda equina syndrome. Other research interests include developing a core outcome set for cervical spine diseases and the assessment of clinical variables associated with outcomes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Selected publications

We are interested in why inflammatory responses to acute brain injury varies in people with a brain haemorrhage and how these variations can affect outcomes. Our approach uses preclinical models to investigate cellular interactions in response to brain haemorrhage. Clinical correlation is achieved by examining brain tissue and clinical data from patients who have died following brain haemorrhage to identify what modifiable factors are translatable to human disease. Working with colleagues in Research to Understand Stroke due to brain Haemorrhage (RUSH), we conduct clinical epidemiological studies to improve outcomes for people with stroke due to brain haemorrhage. We also lead the Sodium after Subarachnoid Haemorrhage (SASH) project together with NSAMR and the BNTRC. SASH is a prospective multicentre cohort study evaluating whether current UK management of patients following spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage adheres to national guidelines. This project also explores the association between low sodium levels and patient outcomes.

Selected publications

Our research in traumatic brain injury includes clinical epidemiological and blood biomarker research. Optimisation of early patient assessment is a core interest. We evaluate different bedside assessment tools for prognostication. Key research includes the development of the GCS-Pupils score, GCS-P age CT charts, and the GCS verbal imputation tool. We are interested in dysfunction of the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland closely associated with the brain, in people with traumatic brain injury. Our team also is developing a blood biomarker for the rapid assessment of patients with mild traumatic brain injury to determine who actually needs brain imaging.  

Selected publications

Many of our research projects have collaborators locally, nationally and internationally.

Clinical Natural Language Processing Group – we work with the Edinburgh Clinical NLP Group on the Whole population Automated Reading of Brain imaging reports in Linked Electronic health Records (WARBLER) study. We apply a computer technique called natural language processing that ‘read’ radiology reports to extract clinical information stored within these reports. By linking to other routine healthcare data generated from day-to-day clinical services, we can assess determinants of outcomes at scale in the whole of Scotland. Conditions we focus on here include brain tumours and chronic subdural haematoma

Artificial Intelligence and its Applications Institute (AIAI) – with the increase in healthcare data, we collaborate with colleagues in AIAI to develop scalable and clinically relevant projects to better understand determinants of health and disease in people with neurosurgical conditions. Examples of these project include the use of explainable artificial intelligence methods for brain tumour diagnosis and causal inference analysis in chronic subdural haematoma prognosis.

British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative (BNTRC) – our trainees contribute to national collaborative projects hosted by the BNTRC, taking the lead role in three projects (chronic subdural haematoma audit, extra-ventricular drainage audit, and Understanding Cauda Equina Study). They continue to shape the landscape of collaborative neurosurgical research through memberships in the BNTRC committee.


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