Summary of the impact

Impact: Health and welfare; policy and guidelines. Anderson and colleagues demonstrated that cryopreservation of ovarian tissue could be used for preservation of fertility following cancer therapy. This step-change has been incorporated into guideline documents internationally and has been adopted into clinical practice world-wide.

Significance: Ovarian tissue has been preserved from many hundreds of women; this is now translating into a growing number of babies born worldwide (currently 24 in nine countries).

Beneficiaries: Women at risk of fertility loss including pre-pubertal girls newly diagnosed with cancer; clinicians; the NHS and healthcare delivery organisations.

Attribution: The underpinning research was performed entirely at UoE.

Reach: Worldwide: UK, Europe, US, Australia.

Summary of the impact

Impact: Health and welfare; public policy; the work led to UK and international guidelines advising against progesterone use to prevent preterm birth in twin pregnancy.

Significance: Thousands of women now avoid this unpleasant procedure annually, with a saving to the NHS of £25M.

Beneficiaries: Pregnant women, policy-makers, the NHS and healthcare-providers.

Attribution: The work was initiated by a five-centre UK collaborative group including UoE. Data analysis, interpretation and translation into practice were led by Jane Norman, UoE.

Reach: The data are cited in guidelines and have changed clinical practice on three continents: Europe (NICE), North America and Australasia. Applies to 11,000 women annually in UK alone.

Summary of the impact

Around 72 million people worldwide have problems conceiving a child. Research at Cardiff University has led to the development of a suite of self-help tools that help individuals and healthcare professionals to manage the problems that infertility brings. The FertiSTAT tool provides individually tailored fertility guidance and has played a central role in fertility awareness campaigns in Europe and beyond. FertiQoL, a measure of fertility-related quality of life, is used in clinical trials and by clinicians to assess how infertility affects patients' quality of life. Finally, the PRCI tool is used in clinics to help women cope with the stresses involved in fertility treatment.

Summary of the impact

Impact: Health and welfare, policy and services. By quantifying the high lifetime prevalence of allergy, high costs and sub-optimal NHS care, UoE researchers catalysed international policy change and UK service developments.

Significance: Investment in expanded allergy services and improved standards of care, resulting in a significant drop in global allergy-related mortality rates.

Beneficiaries: People with allergies; GPs and emergency care clinicians; policymakers and professional bodies.

Attribution: The work was led by Sheikh (UoE) with collaborators for national surveys.

Reach: International. 1 in 3 people in the UK have an allergy; World Allergy Organization anaphylaxis guidelines are used in 89 countries.

Summary of the impact

Impact: Health and welfare; policy; the environment; fundamental changes to phthalate use, wider EU and US Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC) regulations and chemical bans.

Significance: Shaped policy, regulation and the potential causal relationship of environmental EDC on male reproductive disorders and testicular dysgenesis syndrome.

Beneficiaries: Governments; chemical and food regulatory agencies; healthcare workers advising and treating pregnant women; pregnant women and their fetuses; males with disorders of sex development; adult males; plastics manufacturers.

Attribution: EDC research was developed and shaped by Prof Richard Sharpe and colleagues at UoE.

Reach: International; Europe, North America.

Summary of the impact

Using a ground-breaking database of recovered narratives of Latin American women during the Wars of Independence,

• new histories have been created and shared with audiences in Buenos Aires, London and Nottingham through exhibitions, workshops, guided city tours, theatre productions and translation programmes leading to new public knowledge and raised awareness;
• drama and photography workshops have enabled a community of young Latin American migrant women in London to understand their collective heritage and cultural identity more fully, and through this understanding, to develop personal confidence and pride;
• employees of Southwark Council have changed how they work with their growing Latin American community after participating in a cultural and language exchange series contributing to improved community cohesion.

Summary of the impact

The focus of the case is Social Network Analysis (SNA) which allows patterns of relations between actors (human and other entities) to be modelled and combined with actors' attributes. Edinburgh Napier University has applied these methods across a wide range of fields, achieving impacts both in the UK and internationally to make improvements in areas of health, commerce and policy. Methods have been applied to improve: the well-being of women and substance abusers in Bangladesh; the performance of supply chains; to demonstrate the effectiveness of prisoner management in reducing recidivism; and, to assess the effectiveness of health promotion initiatives.

Summary of the impact

Impact: Health and welfare; a UK clinical trial of uterine artery embolisation (UAE), with five-year follow-up, defined the risk- and cost-benefit of UAE versus surgery.

Significance: The trial informed guidelines/recommendations internationally and changed clinical practice. Women worldwide can now make an informed choice about their treatment; economic factors have been quantitated.

Beneficiaries: Uterine fibroid patients, the NHS, healthcare providers.

Attribution: G. Murray, UoE, developed and delivered innovative trial methodology; clinical aspects led by University of Glasgow.

Reach: UK guidelines; worldwide (Australia, USA, Europe) effect on clinical practice that will impact up to 25% of women.

Summary of the impact

A team at the University of Liverpool has undertaken research that has informed practice and policy worldwide in the management of patients presenting with newly diagnosed epilepsy, which has achieved international impact on health. Seizures are common and 3-5% of the population will be given a diagnosis of epilepsy during their lifetime. Decisions about when to start treatment, and if so with which drug are crucial and can have a significant effect on outcomes for the individual and have significant economic consequences for society. The research includes the undertaking and analysis of data from randomised controlled trials. The data analysis is based on the statistical research initiated by Dr Paula Williamson while in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Liverpool between 1996 and 2000. The research identified the most appropriate first line treatments for patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy, addressing both clinical and cost effectiveness. This work has underpinned national policy and triggered the most recent update of the NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) epilepsy guidelines in 2012.

Summary of the impact

Research conducted by LSHTM has played a key role in supporting the global elimination of congenital syphilis. Two studies providing evidence of the health burden of congenital syphilis in Africa and the effectiveness of benzathine penicillin treatment form a pillar upon which WHO established its new syphilis elimination initiative. Further research has resulted in the adoption of new point-of-care tests for screening pregnant women for syphilis in 30 countries. As a result, more women are diagnosed and fewer babies die of syphilis.