Background

I have expertise and a track record in the design and delivery of multi-centre, peer-reviewed nationally funded, internationally important, randomised controlled trials. My current portfolio includes two of the world’s largest trials in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. I regularly collaborate with statisticians, health economists and clinicians; my work has been critical to the growth of clinical trials led by Clinical Investigators from across the North East.

My research determines the evidence base for effective and innovative treatments and interventions with a focus on cardiac surgery, cardio-oncology, and oncology, aiming to improve outcomes and care of patients in the NHS and internationally.

I was previously co-Director of Durham Clinical Trials Unit (DCTU), Durham University, providing strategic and academic leadership of the multi-disciplinary team. DCTU merged with Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit (NCTU) in August 2017, and I am now part of the NCTU senior leadership team.

I am also a specialist advisor in clinical trials to the NIHR Research Design Service – North East (RDSNE). The RDS provides free-of-charge help to investigators preparing research proposals for submission to national peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research.

Research

Research Interests:

Randomised Controlled Trials

Surgical Trials

Cardiac Surgery

Cardio-oncology

Cardiology

Current Clinical Trials as co-Investigator:

2017-2020

Spyridopolous I, Maier R, Hancock HC, Kasim A, Austin D

Telomerase ACTivator to reverse Immunoscenescence in Coronary Artery Disease (TACTIC)

Funder: T.A.Sciences         

Value: 815k

2017-2020

Austin D, Hancock HC, Maier R, Kasim A, Graham J, Stewart M, Wardley A, Verrill M, Plummer C

Preventing cardiac damage in patients treated for breast cancer: a phase 3 Randomised, Open label, blinded endpoint, superiority trial of enalapril to prevent Anthracycline-induced CardioToxicity (PROACT)

Funder: NIHR RfPB            

Value: £349k

2016-2021

Akowuah E, Hancock H, Maier R, Kasim A, Zacharias J, Deshpande R, Birdi I, Vale L, Livesey S, Stewart M, Murphy G.

Minimally invasive thoracoscopically-guided right minithoracotomy versus conventional sternotomy for mitral valve repair: a multicentre randomised controlled trial (UK Mini Mitral)

Funder: NIHR HTA             

Value: £1.515m

2014-2018

Akowuah E, Hancock HC, Maier R, Kasim A, Goodwin A, Owens WAO, Murphy G, Mason JM

Manubrium-limited ministernotomy versus conventional sternotomy for aortic valve replacement: A randomised controlled trial (MAVRIC).

Funder: NIHR RfPB            

Value: £337k

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching:

CMB2000 : Essential Biomedical Research Skills (ethics strand)

Publications

• Akowuah E, Goodwin AT, Owens WA, Hancock HC, Maier R, Kasim A, Mellor A, Khan K, Murphy G, Mason J. Manubrium-limited ministernotomy versus conventional sternotomy for aortic valve replacement (MAVRIC): Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2017, 18(1), 46.
• Akowuah E, Goodwin AT, Owens WA, Hancock HC, Maier R, Kasim A, Mellor A, Khan K, Murphy G, Mason J. Manubrium-limited ministernotomy versus conventional sternotomy for aortic valve replacement: A randomised controlled trial (MAVRIC). In: Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Meeting & Cardiothoracic Forum. 2017, Belfast, Ireland: SCTS.
• Cox J, Hancock H, Maier R, Spratt J, Lee CM, Bhatti A, Mason J. Multidetector CT improving surgical outcomes in breast cancer (MISO-BC): A randomised controlled trial. Breast 2017, 32, 217-224.
• Akowuah E, Hancock H, Maier R, Kasim A, Zacharias J, Deshpande R, Birdi I, Vale L, Livesey S, Stewart M, Murphy G. Minimally invasive thoracoscopically-guided right minithoracotomy versus conventional sternotomy for mitral valve repair: a multicentre randomised controlled trial (UK Mini Mitral). NIHR Research Project 2016.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Yiannakou Y, Etherson K, Close H, Kasim A, Mercer-Jones M, Plusa S, Maier R, Green S, Cundall J, Knowles C, Mason J. A randomized double-blinded sham-controlled cross-over trial of tined-lead sacral nerve stimulation testing for chronic constipation. European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology 2019, 31(6), 653-660.
• Clark E, Morton M, Sharma S, Fisher H, Howel D, Walker J, Wood R, Hancock H, Maier R, Marshall J, Bahl A, Crabb S, Jain S, Pedley I, Jones R, Staffurth J, Heer R. Prostate cancer androgen receptor splice variant 7 biomarker study - A multicentre randomised feasibility trial of biomarker-guided personalised treatment in patients with advanced prostate cancer (the VARIANT trial) study protocol. BMJ Open 2019, 9(12), e034708.
• Clark E, Morton M, Sharma S, Fisher H, Howel D, Walker J, Wood R, Hancock H, Maier R, Marshall J, Bahl A, Crabb S, Jain S, Pedley I, Jones R, Staffurth J, Heer R. Prostate cancer androgen receptor splice variant 7 biomarker study a multicentre randomised feasibility trial of a biomarker-guided personalised treatment in patients with advanced prostate cancer (the VARIANT trial) study protocol. BMJ Open 2019.