Research at Leicester's Hospitals

12/05/2026

International Nurses’ Day is marked each year on 12 May, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, to recognise the vital contribution nursing makes to health and care worldwide.

This year’s campaign highlights nursing as a global profession, shaped by shared standards, evidence and practice across borders. Research nurses are a key part of this, working across a wide range of studies and settings, supporting safe and ethical research, and helping to generate the knowledge that improves care for patients now and in the future.

Across Leicester's Hospitals, research nurses play an essential role in delivering high‑quality research and strengthening the evidence that underpins modern healthcare.

Thank you for everything you do.

11/05/2026

Living with long COVID for three years, Leicester patient Travers David McCullough took part in the PHOSP-I study at the to help researchers better understand potential treatments for the condition.

Sharing his experience, Travers said: “Now I know there’s something out there that works for me. That’s given me hope.”

Read more about Travers’ journey and the importance of taking part in research on our website:
https://leicesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk/long-covid-patient-experience/

07/05/2026

Pinfold Medical Practice is leading a new group called the Charnwood Primary Care Research Collaborative. This brings together seven GP practices across the area to help more people take part in health research closer to home.

Thanks to new NIHR funding, around 83,000 local patients may have the chance to join research studies that help improve healthcare now and in the future.

The group works together so GP practices can share skills and support each other, even when they are busy. This makes it easier for patients from different communities and backgrounds to get involved.

Being part of NIHR CRDC: Leicestershire and Northamptonshire also helps bring high‑quality research to our area and supports better care for everyone.

24/04/2026

Join us for a FREE heart health & research event in Leicester this May.

🫀Free health checks
🙋Talks from Cardiovascular experts from
University of Leicester & Leicester's Hospitals
🫶Discover the latest about research in Leicester
☕️Refreshments & prizes

No need to register – just come along!
🗓️Saturday 16 May
11am – 3pm
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre

08/04/2026

Thank you to ITV News for this fantastic coverage! We're extremely proud of our research teams and our wonderful participants. Discoveries like this one make the entire research journey worthwhile. Well done to all involved! 🤩

08/04/2026

NEWS | 🚨A pioneering new blood test to detect womb cancer has been developed by Gynaecological cancer experts at Leicester's Hospitals and the University of Leicester.

The ECctDNA test looks for fragments of cancer in patients’ blood. It makes it easier and far less invasive to detect whether cancer has recurred. It also removes the need for patients to have to undergo physical examinations, scans and potentially uncomfortable biopsies.

Dr Esther Moss, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and Associate Professor in Gynaecological Oncology at the University of Leicester, led the study. She said: “For some patients, a pelvic examination following womb cancer treatment can be associated with severe discomfort and can cause patients distress. These results support the potential role of this blood test to detect endometrial cancer recurrence. The test may be an alternative option for patients where physical examination is very challenging.”

Gillian Stacey, 80 from Leicester, was among those who took part in the study. She said: “I owe my life to Dr Esther Moss. When I heard about the trial, I thought it was the least I could do to help others. I’ve had many medical examinations over the years and it can be incredibly invasive. You go through it and you do what you have to do, but if there’s an easier and less traumatic way to diagnose this type of cancer then that would be a wonderful thing.”

Read more by visiting our website using the link below:

https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk/news/breakthrough-womb-cancer-test/.

08/04/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT | 🚨We are excited to share that new funding is now underway for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) ARC East Midlands!

Hosted by Leicester's Hospitals, with the University of Leicester, the University of Nottingham and Health Innovation East Midlands, the NIHR ARC East Midlands is one of 10 ARCs to benefit from the NIHR’s latest £157 million investment. It has secured £9 million over the next five years to expand its proven record of delivering impactful research.

Samuel Seidu is a Professor in Primary Care Diabetes and Cardio-metabolic Medicine at the University of Leicester, and is also the new Co-Director of the organisation. He said:

“I am delighted to join ARC East Midlands as Co-Director. It is a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated team, and I look forward to helping translate innovative research into practical solutions that improve health and social care across the region.”

Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Co-Director of the NIHR ARC East Midlands and Professor of Primary Care, Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester, said:

“We are thrilled to have secured this new funding, which allows us to continue our work tackling the region’s most pressing health and social care challenges. It is an exciting opportunity to build on our past achievements and will also allow us to make an even greater impact for communities across the East Midlands.”

Read more by clicking the link below:

https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk/news/new-funding-underway-for-leicester-hosted-research-collaboration/.

24/03/2026

After an extraordinary 80 yrs of combined service, we prepare to say farewell to two cherished members of our team, Carolyn Currie & Penny Donley, who will be retiring at the end of March 2026.

Professor Melanie Davies, Co-Director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, said, “Carolyn and Penny have been an integral part of the Leicester Diabetes Centre for so many years, and their dedication has helped shape the outstanding research environment we are so proud of today."

Sophie Devine, CRDC Senior Research Nurse Manager, added: “Carolyn & Penny leave behind a lifetime of impact and have given so much to our research participants and colleagues. Their legacy will stay with us for years to come. We wish them every happiness in their retirement."

🔗Read the full article: https://www.leicesterdiabetescentre.org.uk/news-blog/fond-farewell-to-carolyn-and-penny-retiring

23/03/2026

NEWS | 🚨 A major new analysis of more than 400,000 UK adults has found that simple, easy‑to‑collect measures of physical health, particularly how fast someone walks, can significantly improve predictions of mortality risk. This finding was especially strong for people already living with long-term health conditions.

🚶‍♀️🚶The study was carried out by a team of researchers at the
University of Leicester with funding from , the MRC iCASE programme and Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA).

Read the full story: https://leicesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk/walking-pace-found-to-strongly-predict-risk-of-death/

Leicester Diabetes Centre

A major new analysis of more than 400,000 UK adults has found that simple, easy‑to‑collect measures of physical health, particularly how fast someone walks, can significantly improve predictions of mortality risk. This finding was especially strong for people already living with long-term health...

20/03/2026

Members of our Public Involvement team are looking forward to being part of this Heritage Hub event at University of Leicester Student's Union tomorrow (Saturday 21 March) afternoon! Come and chat to us if you're there!

Find out more about the work of our PPI team: https://leicesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/

17/03/2026

NEWS 🚨 | Researchers from across the UK and Ireland are calling for urgent action to improve care for women with early-onset type 2 diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.

⭕ The call follows a new consensus statement developed by an expert group of clinicians and researchers from the UK and Ireland.

⭕ The statement sets out critical gaps in current knowledge and clear priorities for future research to better support women and their babies.

📺 Watch a conversation about the consensus:

https://leicesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk/eot2d-consensus/



Leicester Diabetes Centre

Researchers from across the UK and Ireland are calling for urgent action to improve care for women with early-onset type 2 diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.