Collaborations
We are fortunate in ADVANCE to have a rich dataset which can provide valuable information to people interested in improving outcomes for those who have sustained physical combat injuries. Rather than keeping all that information to our own researchers, ADVANCE aims to form collaborations and to share data.
What is a collaboration?
To maximise the value of the information we collect in the ADVANCE study, we work in collaboration with other researchers. A collaborator is an individual, or group of individuals, with experience in health and social research and appropriate training in handling human data, employed at a university or similar academic institution, or by a commercial body aiming to improve the outcomes of severe trauma. Collaborators and their employing institutions are approved by the Project Board, and the UK Ministry of Defence, before any data from ADVANCE are shared with them.
Who are our collaborators?
Currently, we work with several collaborators on different areas of interest. They include:
- Dr Melvyn Hillsdon (University of Exeter) – One area of interest for ADVANCE is levels of physical activity. Dr Hillsdon, who is an expert in measuring and analysing activity data from ‘smart’ devices. He receives the data obtained from activity monitors worn by ADVANCE participants for a 9-day period and provides our researchers with data on activity duration and intensity, and also information on sleep patterns.
- Professor Janet Lord (retired; University of Birmingham) – Prof. Lord’s research aims to determine whether a major injury accelerates the biological ageing process, and to identify factors that may help to blunt this effect. We are working with her team and have shared data with them; in turn, they will provide us with data which will enrich our dataset going forward.