NUH Researcher Akram Hosseini is improving lives with ground-breaking project
NUH Consultants have been reaching for the stars with epoch-making research projects, benefiting patients who live with life-threatening heart conditions, lung disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis and those who require kidney transplants.
Since 2019, five doctors at the Trust have received prestigious CARP (Clinical Academic Research Partnership) Awards, with NUH ranking fifth overall in the NIHR league tables as the Trust with the highest number of CARPs.
This means patients who attend the QMC and City Hospital benefit from cutting-edge research and innovation, which involves close partnership with academic leaders and scientists based both locally and nationally.
As the search gets underway for the next candidates who will apply for new CARP funding in 2023, we spoke to Akram Hosseini, one of our previous winners at NUH, about her research. If you are a consultant at NUH who would like to apply for CARP, contact the Grants Team in Research & Innovation for advice, email: researchgrantapplications@nuh.nhs.uk
Dr Akram A. Hosseini
A Consultant Neurologist at NUH, Dr Hosseini won a CARP ward in 2019. Her project used powerful (Ultrahigh Field at 7T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging to study the sub-millimetre and molecular changes of small structures in patients’ brains at the early stages of early onset Alzheimer’s disease, to find novel ways of making the diagnosis.
Since then, she has used 7-Tesla MRI in an international study investigating possible links between COVID-19 and dementia.
How has your career developed since winning CARP?
Akram Hosseini (AH): “CARP provided me with the protected research time to enhance my research skills and experience. It allowed me to integrate research into my clinical practice in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Most patients in my Young Age Dementia Clinics want to know early if they have Alzheimer’s disease. Since there are new promising treatments for mild Alzheimer’s that appear to slow down the progression of the disease, it has become more important than ever to be able to make the diagnosis early.
“By using the 7T MRI at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, we study the changes on the brain scans of patients with Alzheimer’s disease that has the capability to help make the diagnosis early.
“During the pandemic, I joined an international research consortium investigating the consequences of COVID-19 on brain functioning. In an international effort, we successfully applied for additional funding to study the precursors of Alzheimer’s disease following COVID-19 both the UK and the United States.
“Other than the funding for the clinical research, CARP gave me protected time for academic activities, helped me to build up collaborations with the university colleagues, enhanced networking opportunities and led to translate the scientific knowledge for clinical studies in dementia.”
Do you have any tips for CARP applicants?
AH: “If you have previous research experience, try to take it to the next level. Think about how your research can translate into clinical practice – how would it be useful for your patients?”