Helen is a senior research methodologist with the NIHR Research Design Service North East and North Cumbria (https://rds-nenc.nihr.ac.uk/)  

Helen has a clinical background in community and palliative care. Her research interests focus on end-of-life care (her PhD examined the organisation of care for children and adults with life-limiting illness) and research in care homes. Helen is an experienced applied health care researcher and has experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods and in trial design and delivery.

She has been a successful co-applicant on several NIHR trials and her research portfolio spans the areas of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, mental health and end of life care. Her current research focuses on legal aspects of end of life care, the application of guidelines in care homes, and all aspects of public involvement in research.

• Yiannakou Y, Etherson K, Close H, Kasim AK, Mercer-Jones M, Plusa P, Maier R, Green S, Cundall J, Knowles C, Mason J. A randomised double-blinded sham controlled cross-over trial of tined lead sacral nerve stimulation testing for chronic constipation; TiLTS-cc results. 2017. Submitted.
• Stocker R, Close H, Hancock H, Hungin APS. Should heart failure be regarded as a terminal illness requiring palliative care? A study of heart failure patients’, carers’ and clinicians’ understanding of heart failure prognosis and its management. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care 2017, 7(4), 464-469.
• Rees CJ, Rajasekhar PT, Wilson A, Close H, Rutter MD, Saunders BP, East JE, Maier R, Moorghen M, Muhammad U, Hancock H, Jayaprakash A, MacDonald C, Ramadas A, Dhar A, Mason JM. Narrow band imaging optical diagnosis of small colorectal polyps in routine clinical practice: The Detect Inspect Characterise Resect and Discard 2 (DISCARD 2) study. Gut 2016, 66(5), 887-895.
• Cornford C, Close H. The physical health of people who inject drugs: Complexities, challenges, and continuity. British Journal of General Practice 2016, 66(647), 286-287.
• Yiannakou Y, Etherson K, Close H, Kasim A, Mercer-Jones M, Plusa S, Maier R, Green S, Cundall J, Knowles C, Mason J. Tined lead test stimulation to predict long-term benefit from sacral nerve stimulation in patients with chronic constipation (TiLTS-cc trial). In: European Society of Coloproctology 11th Scientific and Annual Meeting. 2016, Milan, Italy.
• Wood V, Gesler W, Curtis S, Spencer I, Close H, Mason J, Reilly J. ‘Therapeutic Landscapes’ and the Importance of Nostalgia, Solastalgia, Salvage and Abandonment for Psychiatric Hospital Design. Health & Place 2015, 33, 83-89.
• Cox J, Hancock H, Spratt J, Close H, May C, Mohammed U, Mason J. Multidectector CT improving surgical; outcomes in patients with breast cancer: A randomised controlled trial. In: UK Radiological Congress. 2015, Liverpool, UK.
• Close H, Mason JM, Wilson DW, Hungin APS, Jones R, Rubin G. Risk of ischaemic heart disease in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: Cohort study using the general practice research database. PLoS ONE 2015, 10(10), e0139745.
• Hancock HC, Close H, Fuat A, Murphy JJ, Hungin APS, Mason JM. Barriers to accurate diagnosis and effective management of heart failure have not changed in the past 10 years: A qualitative study and national survey. BMJ Open 2014, 4(3), e003866.
• Dhar A, Close H, Hancock H, Maier R, Wilson D, Mason JM, Vishwanath YKS, Rees C, Dwarakanath D. Biodegradable stent or ballon dilatation for benign oesophageal stricture: Pilot randomised controlled trial. World Journal of Gastroenterology 2014, 20(48), 18199-18206.
• Cox J, Hancock H, Spratt J, Close H, Lee CM, Mohammed U, Mason J. Multidetector CT Improving Surgical Outcomes in Breast Cancer (MISO BC). In: British Society of Breast Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting 2014. 2014, Brighton, UK: BioMed Central Ltd.
• Close H, Reilly J, Mason JM, Kripalani M, Wilson D, Main J, Hungin APS. Renal failure in lithium-treated bipolar disorder: A retrospective cohort study. PLoS ONE 2014, 9(3), e90169.
• Stocker R, Close H. Assessing the uptake of the Liverpool Care Pathway for dying patients: a systematic review. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care 2013, 3(4), 399-404.