Exeter
Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care - University of Exeter
The Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) is an established centre of excellence for primary care research and education based within the University of Exeter Medical School. With a strong track-record in collaborative, impact-focused, multidisciplinary and innovative research, the work of APEx informs and responds to international, national and local priorities. APEx brings together primary care researchers, healthcare professionals and educators, and the infrastructure to interact with partners in the NHS, wider health and social care system, voluntary sector and industry.
APEx seeks to maintain and grow a dynamic community across professional groups (e.g. GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, other allied health professions) and academic disciplines (e.g. statistics, psychology, social sciences, health economics) relevant to primary care research and education and does this partly through a dynamic training programme involving undergraduate and taught postgraduate students, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and those combining clinical and research roles.
ABOUT THEIR RESEARCH
APEx research centres around six main themes and welcomes all interested in these and other areas. Full details of the themes can be found on our website. In summary these are:
Primary Care Focused Health Services Research, including large pragmatic clinical trials and other robust methods to examine, develop and evaluate improvements in the organisation and delivery of care. Internationally renowned research focuses on the changing workforce, alternatives to face-to-face GP consultations and digital health. Theme Lead: Professor John Campbell (john.campbell@exeter.ac.uk)
Ageing, Frailty and Multimorbidity, including evaluations of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of different treatment pathways and interventions in primary care and across the interface between primary and secondary care, for the prevention and management of falls, fracture and frailty. We are also one of the first groups to use primary care settings successfully to recruit large numbers of people with dementia into trials. Our portfolio of multimorbidity research includes a focus on patient involvement in decision-making in the context of living with multiple long-term conditions. Theme Lead: Professor Sallie Lamb (s.e.lamb@exeter.ac.uk)
Early Cancer Diagnosis, involving internationally renowned research on the epidemiology of diagnosis and the diagnostic process for cancer including the identification of individuals at high risk of cancer, optimum testing strategies in primary care and the implementation of this into the NHS and internationally. Theme Leads: Professor Willie Hamilton (w.hamilton@exeter.ac.uk) and Prof Gary Abel (g.a.abel@exeter.ac.uk)
Primary care mental health, focusing on the development and evaluation of interventions and models of care to improve the management and coordination of care for people with a range of mental health problems within the primary care setting, including work with Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. Theme Lead: Professor Barney Dunn (b.d.dunn@exeter.ac.uk)
Global Health and the Broader Context of Primary Care considers the global drivers of health and healthcare and considers primary care in a global context, including in relation to workforce, health systems, global threats to human health (including antimicrobial resistance) and areas of global inequalities including women’s health. Theme Lead: Dr Emma Pitchforth (e.pitchforth@exeter.ac.uk)
Public Patient Involvement (PPI) underpins all APEx research. We have established a dedicated patient and carer advisory group specifically to support NIHR SPCR work in Exeter. The APEx approach to PPI is based on a model developed within the NIHR PenARC which has been acclaimed nationally and internationally for being innovative and comprehensive. Theme Leads: Dr Kristin Liabo (k.l.liabo@exeter.ac.uk) and Beccy Summers (R.L.Summers@exeter.ac.uk).
SUPPORT FOR EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS
Through NIHR SPCR funding, APEx supports undergraduate interns, clinical and non-clinical predoctoral fellows, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and other early career researchers. Award holders join part of a wider, expanding training community at Exeter including undergraduate medical, biomedical and nursing students and taught post-graduate students undertaking primary care related projects, those awarded doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships funded through other means and early career researchers working on studies funded via SPCR and other sources. APEx also hosts a number of Academic Clinical Fellows in primary care. An APEx Early Career Network provides peer-to-peer support and training. Award holders also benefit from a dynamic programme of seminars and training provided through the University of Exeter Medical School, University Doctoral College, the NIHR Academy and other NIHR organisations locally including PenARC. APEx researchers contribute to and can access networking, training and development opportunities offered by SPCR and the Society for Academic Primary Care, including via a number of special interest groups (e.g. Cancer, Cardiovascular Research, Mental Health, Digital Technologies, Women’s Health). Award holders can also attend training provided by other SPCR members and an annual NIHR SPCR trainees event.
CONTACT DETAILS
If you want to conduct your fellowship at the University of Exeter, but not sure whom to contact for support, do feel welcome to reach out to the people below:
Dr Emma Pitchforth; E.Pitchforth@exeter.ac.uk (SPCR training lead - contact for postdoctoral fellowships )
Dr Jane Smith; jane.smith@exeter.ac.uk (SPCR training lead - contact for PhD studentships)
Dr Richard Neal; r.neal@exeter.ac.uk (Exeter clinical training lead - contact for Primary Care Clinician Career Progression fellowships)
Sara Hayes; S.Hayes@exeter.ac.uk (professional support)