Dermatology
We are the Centre for Evidence-Based Dermatology.
Training opportunities in your academic speciality (at ACF and CL level)
The Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology's (CEBD) methodological strengths include: identifying and prioritising research questions with patients and healthcare professionals; systematic reviews; developing diagnostic criteria and outcome measures for skin disease; pragmatic, randomised controlled clinical trials; routine healthcare data research; qualitative research and process evaluation; working with patients and the public; and knowledge mobilisation skills.
Dermatological areas of interest and excellence at the CEBD include: atopic eczema, vitiligo, cellulitis, vulval disorders, childhood psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, blistering diseases, keratinocyte cancers and acne. We have also identified these important areas of focus and growth for the CEBD looking forward:
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women’s health (vulval skin disease, skin health and the menopause, skin health during pregnancy)
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paediatric dermatology (especially eczema, acne and psoriasis)
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changing landscape of dermatology care (community pharmacy, remote consultations, self-management interventions and diagnostic aids)
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earlier and better diagnosis of skin conditions and severity assessment (including med tech, responsible use of AI/machine learning)
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pharmaco-epidemiology and big data
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addressing health inequalities (particularly skin of colour)
Particular research interests and projects
The CEBD is co-directed by Professors Kim Thomas and Hywel Williams. The Centre works collaboratively with a number of other disciplines including rheumatology, gynaecology, paediatrics and primary care, and is a member of the NIHR School for Primary Care research. The CEBD also works closely with the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit to design and deliver trials.
The majority of our research is funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) or medical charities. We produce around 40-50 peer-reviewed publications per year and we are one of the highest income generators for non-commercial dermatology research in the world. The CEBD has an international reputation for applied health research in dermatology with a high grant income and sustained output of 4 star papers in the top academic journals. We also excel in measuring the impact of our research on the health and wealth of the country.
The CEBD hosts the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UK DCTN) – an independent network of dermatologists and health care professionals interested in addressing major uncertainties about the prevention and treatment of skin diseases. Patients and the public are at the heart of everything that the CEBD does. The CEBD runs a large patient panel for dermatology research and it works closely with skin charities such as the National Eczema Society.
There are a number of large NIHR-funded research studies being led from the CEBD including: RAPID Eczema Trials, PEARLS - investigating maintenance treatment for lichen sclerosus, ACNE-ID - investigating isotretinoin dosing for acne.
For more information please visit the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology research group website.
Academic Clinical Fellows
Gavin Fong
"I am Gavin, currently an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow and ST3 Registrar in Dermatology at the University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. My research endeavors are centered at the Center of Evidence Based Dermatology (CEBD) within the University of Nottingham.
"My academic interests are in atopic eczema, clinical trials, epidemiology, and outcome measures which makes the CEBD the ideal place to be. One of my projects involves collaborating with researchers at both the CEBD and Imperial College London on refining a machine-learning tool designed to assess eczema severity using digital images. As part of this, I am spearheading efforts to establish Nottingham University Hospitals as an additional recruitment site, actively participating in recruitment processes, contributing to the tool's optimisation, and subsequent data analysis.
"In addition, I am involved in the RAPID eczema clinical trials, which represent a novel approach to investigating pertinent questions in eczema. These pragmatic, randomized controlled trials are conducted alongside citizen scientists, enabling us to address relevant clinical queries that may otherwise be overlooked by traditional trial methodologies."
For more information about Gavin's research, please see an overview of his research on ORCiD.
Gavin Fong
Francesca Satchwell
"I am Frankie, an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow and ST3 Dermatology Registrar at the University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. I joined the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology (CEBD) at the University of Nottingham (UoN) inspired by its commitment to patient-centred research and its focus on promoting diversity, inclusivity and representation in dermatology.
My research interests include improving engagement and representation of underrepresented patient populations, particularly within hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) research. I am currently developing strategies to recruit a more diverse HS patient population from primary and secondary care, addressing barriers to participation and promoting inclusivity. I am also highly committed to medical education, where I have undertaken a project enhancing teaching materials for the UoN medical students to improve the representation of dermatological conditions in people with Skin of Colour. I also contribute to wider dermatology research, including vulval dermatology, vulval Crohn’s disease and acne. I am involved in ongoing clinical trials including the PEARLS and ACNE-ID trials, strengthening my clinical research experience. Through this work, I aim to support patient-centred dermatology research with the ambition to improve outcomes for patients."
For more information about Frankie's research, see an overview of their research on ORCiD.