Developing Innovative Medical Interventions
Early detection, screening, and treatment of chronic conditions and diseases within disadvantaged and rural populations are core elements in the LIIRH’s portfolio, from localised instances to global research.
The University of Lincoln’s scientists and academics are at the forefront of innovative and collaborative design approaches and methodologies, providing global excellence in response to and management of emergent diseases and healthcare conditions.
Extensive expertise in conducting high quality research and quality improvement in health and social care includes rural health and care workforce programmes of study, from funded programmes into community first responders, ambulatory, and emergency care, to evaluation of portable devices, m-health technologies and potential implantable digital devices. The advancement of innovative medical interventions to support, detect, and monitor medical care and health management of underserved communities forms a central concern.
Our researchers have expertise of infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases, with focused interest in studying HIV and Covid-19, and extensive experience working on HIV research within rural populations. Our strong partnership established with the African Health Research Institute and the University of KwaZulu Natal supports involvement in large scale surveys like the HIV surveillance program, with more than 220,000 individuals followed, in rural KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
With the amount and variety of data collected (including behavioural, HIV phylogenetics and GPS data), we have published high impact scientific papers on HIV-infection dynamics and are currently evaluating innovative health interventions into infection evolution.
The HITS trials, funded by the NIH, is a study aiming to measure the impact of a combination of home-based HIV testing and financial incentives on HIV-incidence. In response to Covid-19, our researchers have applied their expertise in infectious disease dynamics and spatial epidemiology to contribute to the effort response, leading projects on geographical mapping, clustering analysis, and transmission patterns.
In light of our interests and current research in mental health and vulnerable populations, several projects are building towards health and social behavioural resilience following the lockdown and research on PTSD and care homes during the Covid-19 outbreak.