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Our current research projects

We raise funds specifically to support research and, periodically, we make these funds available to researchers through our Research Grants Programme.

Decisions about how we allocate grants are made by our Research and Innovation Grants Assessment Panel following our Research Grants Application Process. The panel considers all applications in line with the aims and priorities of our Breaking the Silence Strategy 2022-2026 and Research Roadmap.

Research projects we are currently funding

Highlighted below in blue are the grants awarded in our latest Research and Innovation Grants Round held in 2023.

Project Grants

The purpose of each project grant is to support a UK osteoporosis researcher to lead a strong research team to undertake a ground-breaking and innovative research project

Principal Investigator: Dr Kassim Javaid, University of Oxford 

This study will improve understanding about patient access to romosozumab, ensuring there aren’t exclusions based on where people they live or their age. The results aim to provide the evidence to hold organisations to account and inform strategies to improve decision making.

Principal Investigators: Professor Katie Sheehan, Ms Rhian Milton-Cole, Professor Emma Godfrey, Kings College London

Healthcare after a broken hip rarely includes support to go outside, and currently only one in four patients recover this ability by the time they are four months post hip fracture. This study will assess if more sensitive measurements of how much physical activity people do (and where) can be used to ultimately improve the future trials on interventions to promote recovery of outdoor mobility after hip fracture.

Principal Investigator: Dr Rita Patel, University of Bristol

Each year more than 70,000 older adults are admitted to UK hospitals with hip fractures. This study aims to analyse data to identify which key factors (e.g. geography, deprivation, ethnicity) need to be targeted to improve equitable access, resulting in enhancement of the current REDUCE (REducing unwarranted variation in the Delivery of high-qUality hip fraCture services in England and Wales) Toolkit.

Principal Investigator: Dr Emily Henderson, University of Bristol

Older adults with neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's, are at higher risk of falling and breaking bones. This study aims to garner the evidence which will transform the recognition and treatment of osteoporosis in people with neurological disease who are particularly susceptible to breaking bones, by updating clinical guidance. 

Principal Investigator: Professor Emma Clark, University of Bristol

This study aims to translate the effective clinical vertebral fracture screening tool (Vfrac) into the most common non-English languages in the UK, particularly Punjabi and Urdu. This will involve a systematic approach including multiple translations, back-translations, testing and local community group work.

Principal Investigator: Arvind Sami, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

This study aims to discover how the effective clinical vertebral fracture screening tool (Vfrac) could be used beyond general practice in other healthcare settings such as community pharmacies, to ensure people are not missed.

Principal Investigator: Dr Andrew Sturrock, Northumbria University 

There is currently no standard practice for following up people with osteoporosis to address the essential support needed for using osteoporosis medicines safely and effectively. This study will involve patients and healthcare professionals to develop a novel pharmacist led follow-up review delivered in general practice to support a person-centred approach to care and medicines use.

 

Principal Investigator: Professor Stuart Ralston, University of Edinburgh 

This study aims to provide new insights into risk factors and genetic factors associated with Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis and will form the basis of improved diagnosis and new approaches to treatment. 

Principal Investigator: Professor Eugene McCloskey, University of Sheffield 

The study aims to address opportunities and barriers to easy assessment of fracture risk and explore ways to efficiently bring this to the attention of GPs.   

Principal Investigator: Dr Muhammad Kassim Javaid, University of Oxford 

This study aims to improve how well Fracture Liaison Services work by identifying key organisational factors and also focus on patients at very high risk to update patient pathways to better manage this group. 

Principal Investigator: Professor Emma Clark, University of Bristol 

The study aims to address an important gap in our understanding of the experiences of men with osteoporotic vertebral fractures to update existing clinical tools, thereby promoting equity and fairness in delivery of the best quality healthcare for people with osteoporosis. 

Principal Investigator: Dr Laurna Bullock and Dr Zoe Paskins, Keele University 

This study aims to create new resources for GPs and HCPs aimed at increasing patient understanding of a bone density (DXA) scan result to improve adherence to osteoporosis medication. 

Early Career Grants

The purpose of each early career grant is to support a researcher in the early stages of their career through specific funding of a research project. The scheme aims to invest in the development of the next generation of outstanding osteoporosis researchers, therefore applicants will need to have demonstrated that they are on an upward trajectory with great potential, and are now ready to take the next step towards becoming an independent principal investigator.

Principal Investigator: Dr Tatiane Vilaca, University of Sheffield 

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are known to affect the ageing skeleton. This study will investigate if AGEs can give us information about bone quality and long-term bone renewal, which will help to personalise osteoporosis treatments in the future. 

For more information:

Accredited by the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC)

  • We've been a member of the AMRC for over 30 years, and were awarded a certificate of best practise in medical and health research in the 2020 peer review audit.

We are the UK’s only national charity dedicated to bone health and osteoporosis.

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