Bristol
Centre for Academic Primary Care - University of Bristol
The Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol is one of the leading centres of academic primary care in the UK, and internationally known as a centre of excellence for research. It has been a member of the SPCR since its inception in 2006.
CAPC aims to provide high quality evidence to address some of the most important health challenges relating to NHS primary care, and to generate knowledge that is accessible and useful to academics, commissioners, clinicians, service providers, voluntary sector and the public.
CAPC has over 100 staff members, including academic GPs and primary health care scientists with expertise in statistics, qualitative methods, health economics, randomised controlled trials, realist evaluations and systematic reviewing. Projects often involve collaboration with other departments. Locally we collaborate with colleagues at the University of the West of England, Bath University, ARC West, BNSSG ICB, and our local NHS trusts.
ABOUT THEIR RESEARCH
CAPC’s research is organised under four broad themes, and within each theme there are various research areas.
The Appropriate and effective care theme includes research that focuses on diagnosis and management of illnesses mainly treated in primary care. Key research areas within this theme focus on addiction and risk behaviours (John Macleod), cardiovascular disease (Rachel Johnson), dermatology (Matt Ridd), depression and anxiety (David Kessler), domestic and sexual violence and abuse (Gene Feder), infection and antibiotic stewardship (Alastair Hay), vulnerable populations (Jeremy Horwood).
Theme lead contact: Matt Ridd, m.ridd@bristol.ac.uk
Organisation and delivery of care theme includes studies that focus on the role of primary care within the health care system. It includes projects on efficient models of care (Chris Salisbury), urgent care (Matthew Booker), global health (Christie Cabral), health informatics and digital health (John Macleod), multimorbidity and long-term conditions (Rachel Johnson), medicines and prescribing (Jenny Scott), palliative and end of life care (Lucy Selman), primary care consultations (Peter Edwards).
Theme lead contact: Chris Salisbury, c.salisbury@bristol.ac.uk
COVID-19 research: Projects evaluating responses to, and impact of, the pandemic, and identifying ways in which primary care and public health can respond. It includes projects on the switch to digital primary care consultations (Jeremy Horwood), behaviour change to reduce Covid transmission (Lucy Yardley), infection prevention in patients with dementia (Alyson Huntley), adherence to isolation measures (Lucy Yardley), primary care for housebound patients (Polly Duncan).
Theme lead contact: Jeremy Horwood, j.horwood@bristol.ac.uk
Methodology: We conduct methodological work in collaboration with other groups, including the SPCR Research Evidence Synthesis Working Group. This theme includes projects on intervention development and evaluation and integrating qualitative studies within trials to improve their design and interpretation (Katrina Turner), systematic reviews and evidence synthesis methods (Alyson Huntley), methods for increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in research (Julie Clayton), methods for working with and linking to electronic health record data (Jess Watson).
Theme lead contact: Katrina Turner, katrina.turner@bristol.ac.uk
SUPPORT FOR EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS
The CAPC has an outstanding track record in developing research capacity in primary care amongst clinical and primary care scientist at all levels of their careers.
Award holders will have expert guidance from supervisors and access to professional research training. Training opportunities include an internationally recognised programme of research methodology courses spanning the design of randomised trials, statistical methods, data science approaches and qualitative studies. Researchers will have access to university staff development courses including communication skills, grant writing, career management, managing people and teams. Early Career Researchers (ECR) benefit from the excellent personal and professional development programme and training opportunities provided by Bristol Doctoral College and the ESRC South-West Doctoral Training Partnership. ECRs also benefit from collaborating with colleagues based in the Bristol Trials Centre (BTC), and the wider University.
The academic GP trainees are also members of the Clinical Academic Training school at the Severn Deanery (programme lead Prof Debbie Sharp) which provides further supervision and mentorship and fosters collaboration with researchers from all the medical specialties. We have a particularly strong track record of supporting academic GPs in post CCT bridging fellowships to obtain prestigious externally funded research PhD awards and onwards to Academic Clinical Lectureships and Advanced Fellowships.
CONTECT DETAILS
If you want to conduct your fellowship at the University of Bristol, but not sure whom to contact for support, do feel welcome to reach out to the people below:
Dr Alyson Huntley; alyson.huntley@bristol.ac.uk (Doctoral Fellowships)
Dr Christie Cabral ; christie.cabral@bristol.ac.uk (Post-Doctoral Fellowships)
Professor Debbie Sharp; debbie.sharp@bristol.ac.uk(Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowship; PhD programme for Primary Care Clinicians)
Nancy Horlick; Nancy.horlick@bristol.ac.uk (Professional Support)