Epidemiology and Global Health
The wealth of linked healthcare data available at the University of Dundee provides a unique environment to perform a wide range of epidemiological research
Key research areas include the epidemiology of diabetes, renal disease, endocrinology, infection and antimicrobial use with strong links to our Masters of Public Health (MPH) course. Global health research includes the NIHR-funded India-Scotland Precision Medicine in Diabetes (INSPIRED) project which has partnerships with research institutions in India, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Malaysia. The GoDARTS and SHARE cohorts are key bioresources linked to electronic medical records utilised for epidemiological and mechanistic studies in Dundee.
In diabetes we undertake population epidemiology at regional level (Tayside and Fife) and nationally via involvement with the SDRN Epidemiology Group. We also link to bioresources to enable genomic and other biomarker studies of diabetes risk, complications and progression. We are involved with a number of ongoing European consortia investigating diabetes risk and progression (IMI-DIRECT, IMI-RHAPSODY), Type 1 diabetes (Hypo-RESOLVE), and complications of diabetes (Beat-DKD). The global diabetes research unit funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) is focused on understanding risk factors for type 2 diabetes incidence and progression. With a particular focus on South Asian diabetes, NIHR-INSPIRED has helped create a unique bioresource for the study of diabetes in the Indian sub-continent. Data resources include genomic, clinical, pharmacy and anthropometric data, as well as retinal images to understand ethnicity-specific factors in diabetes.
In infectious diseases our work focuses on antimicrobial (antibiotic) use, resistance, and stewardship in addition to the epidemiology of community- and healthcare-associated infections. It includes multidisciplinary collaboration in the design and evaluation of health services interventions including rapid molecular diagnostics, utilising electronic health records data with novel data linkage, including bacterial genomics. This work provides the clinical component of the University of Dundee’s Centre for antimicrobial resistance. This work is closely embedded with the NHS microbiology and virology laboratories, where there is a focus on infection prevention and control.
In renal disease we utilise linked electronic health care data with strong links to the Scottish Renal Registry to examine the epidemiology of both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease in addition to prescribing safety in renal disease.
Principal Investigators
- Charis Marwick
- Samira Bell
- Moneeza Siddiqui
- Colin Palmer
- Ewan Pearson
- Alexander Doney
- Peter Donnan
Honorary Principal Investigators
- Graham Leese
- Martin Kirkpatrick
- Ben Parcell