List of research grants
List of research grants
| Cardiac biomarkers, CVD risk assessment, and cost-effectiveness | |
| Grantholders | Welsh P, Briggs A, Di Angelantonio E, Willeit P, McConnachie A, Wannamethee G, Sattar N. |
| Principal Researcher | Welsh P |
| Award | £242,048 |
| Source of funding | British Heart Foundation Intermediate basic scientist fellowship |
| Dates | 1st March 2013 – Feb 2016 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study |
| Brief summary | This collaborative fellowship will attempt to ascertain the value of measuring cardiac biomarkers in CVD risk assessment in primary prevention. The MIDSPAN family study is an important component to these studies, contributing endpoints from around 15 year follow-up of the cohort. |
| Publications arising | |
| Vitamin D as a novel biomarker for cardiovascular risk in the West of Scotland? The Midspan Family Study | |
| Grantholders | Welsh P, Sattar N, McConnachie A, Wallace M, Watt G. |
| Principal Researcher | Welsh P |
| Award | £38,340 |
| Source of funding | Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland |
| Dates | July 2010 - June 2011 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study |
| Brief summary | This study will measure circulating vitamin D metabolite 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), and parathyroid hormone (PTH), in serum and plasma samples from the Midspan Family Study participants. We will then relate serum 25OHD to risk of incident CVD over follow-up, adjusting for classical CVD risk factors, deprivation, PTH, calcium and inflammation (CRP). In this way the Midspan Family Study will be one of the best phenotyped epidemiological studies to investigate the association of vitamin D with CVD risk. |
| Publications arising | |
| Obesity and overweight in relation to liver disease in the Midspan studies | |
| Grantholders | Hart C L, Batty D G, Morrison D S, Mitchell R J L. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £22,326 |
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | April 2009 - Sept. 2009 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley, Collaborative & Main |
| Brief summary | Liver disease is rising alarmingly in Scotland, widely considered to be due to increased alcohol consumption. However, growing levels of obesity may be another cause or may contribute to the impact of alcohol. The Midspan prospective cohort studies will be used to unravel these relationships. These studies of over 27,000 men and women have data on body mass index (BMI) at screening and mortality over up to 42 years of follow-up, from which liver disease mortality can be ascertained. For over 22,000 of the participants, liver disease morbidity is also available from hospital discharge data and cancer registrations. Importantly, for over 11,000 participants, alcohol consumption was reported at screening. The project will reveal relationships between BMI and liver disease mortality and morbidity. Interactions between BMI and alcohol will be investigated, to ascertain whether participants with higher BMI who are also heavy drinkers are at greater risk of liver disease. |
| Publications arising | |
| Research Training Fellowship | |
| Supervisors | McMurray J J V, Hole D J, MacIntyre K. |
| Principal Researcher | Pardeep Jhund |
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | 2005 - 2008 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow Public Health & Health Policy |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley |
| Brief summary | Long-term consequences of socioeconomic deprivation on cardiovascular outcomes: up to 30 years follow-up of more than 15,000 middle aged men and women. |
| Enhancement of the Midspan data sets to enable further research on variation in cardiovascular disease risk and mortality in Scotland | |
| Grantholders | Hole D J, Lever A F, Davey Smith G, Lawlor D A |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £114,514 |
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | July 2004 - June 2006 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative |
| Brief summary | This project will use the Midspan data sets to answer new questions on cardiovascular disease in Scotland. The first stage will update the data sets for mortality and hospital admissions data, including full checks on the status of the oldest participants. The next stage will be to assess the significance of risk factors measured in mid-life on health outcomes as participants age, investigate the effect of bereavement on health in a subset of married couples and examine the role of obesity and the metabolic syndrome in the development of cardiovascular disease. |
| Publications arising | |
| Health effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants in Scotland | |
| Grantholders | Beverland I, Agius R, Hole D, Cohen G, Heal M, Lee A, Fowkes G, Morris G. |
| Principal Researcher | Christina Yap |
| Award | £189,135 |
| Source of funding | Department of Health |
| Dates | 2003 - 2006 |
| Study centre | University of Strathclyde |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative |
| Brief summary | The purpose of the research is to simultaneously quantify the health effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants and shortening of life from short-term exposures. Primary outcome measures are cause-specific mortality and morbidity, with particular attention to cardiovascular outcomes. Extensive pollution exposure databases will be used to investigate exposure and latency durations and temporal changes in pollution concentrations that are most relevant to health outcomes. |
| Publications arising | |
| Childhood IQ, social factors and health: a collaboration between the Midspan studies and the Scottish Mental Health Survey 1932, extended to the next generation. (Extension) | |
| Grantholders | Deary I, Whalley L, Davey Smith G, Wilson V, Hole D, Starr J, Watt G. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £11,061 |
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | Aug - Oct 2003 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow & University of Edinburgh |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study & Renfrew/Paisley 1921 birth cohort |
| Brief summary | This extension to the original project links the offspring of the 1921 birth cohort in order to examine the influence of parental childhood IQ on children's health and social factors at midlife. |
| Publications arising | |
| Does low birthweight pregnancy signal markedly increased maternal cardiovascular risk? | |
| Grantholders | Sattar N, Ramsay J, Freeman D, Watt G, Ferrell W, Walker I, Clark P, Greer I. |
| Principal Researcher | Naveed Sattar |
| Award | £61,342 |
| Source of funding | Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland |
| Dates | 2003 - 2004 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study |
| Brief summary | This grant includes a component for adding birthweights for pregnancies of adult daughters, based on SMR2 and/or reported birthweight data, as an additional baseline variable for prediction of future CHD risk in daughters. |
| Childhood IQ, social factors and health: a collaboration between the Midspan studies and the Scottish Mental Health Survey 1932 | |||
| Grantholders | Deary I, Whalley L, Davey Smith G, Wilson V, Hole D, Starr J. | ||
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart, Michelle Taylor | ||
| Award | £133,305 | ||
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office | ||
| Dates | Aug 2001 - July 2003 | ||
| Study centre | University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh | ||
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative 1921 birth cohort | ||
| Brief summary | This collaboration is combining data on mental ability in childhood with data on 1921-born MIDSPAN participants screened when middle aged. Relationships between childhood IQ and other social and physiological factors, mortality and morbidity over 25 years will be investigated. | ||
| Publications arising | |||
| Why do affluent cancer patients have better survival than deprived? Comparison of baseline characteristics and subsequent patterns of recurrence. | |
| Grantholders | Hole D, Hart C, Blatchford O. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £25,000 |
| Source of funding | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Dates | Oct 2000 - July 2001 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative |
| Brief summary | This project aimed to explain why survival is better in affluent compared to deprived cancer patients, using baseline characteristics of MIDSPAN participants who developed cancer since the original screening. |
| Pulse pressure as a predictor of coronary heart disease in the Renfrew/Paisley general population: atherogenic effect or coronary underperfusion? | |
| Grantholders | Lever A F, Hole D J |
| Principal Researcher | Ross Morton |
| Award | £33,538 |
| Source of funding | Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland |
| Dates | Oct 2000 - Sept 2001 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley |
| Brief summary | The Renfrew/Paisley study provides an ideal opportunity to assess the role of pulse pressure as a predictor of vascular and all-cause mortality in the general population with large numbers of events over the whole range of blood pressure. A detailed examination of the performance of the statistical risk model including the different measures of blood pressure is being undertaken as part of this project. |
| Quality of life and real life cognitive functioning | |
| Grantholders | Gilhooly M, Phillips L, Hanlon P, Gilhooly K |
| Principal Researcher | Dominique Harvey, Allison Murray |
| Award | £149,203 |
| Source of funding | ESRC |
| Dates | Oct 1999 - Mar 2002 |
| Study centre | University of Paisley |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley |
| Brief summary | Qualitative and quantitative study examining factors associated with cognitive functioning in old age in a sample of 240 older adults. |
| Publications arising | |
| Determinants of good health and successful ageing: a detailed examination of the healthiest surviving members of the MIDSPAN cohort. (Phase III of the PREVAIL project) | |
| Grantholders | Hanlon P, Gilhooly M, Whyte B |
| Principal Researcher | Beth Gordon, Sara MacDonald |
| Award | £84,599 |
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | Oct 1999 - Mar 2002 |
| Study centre | University of Paisley |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley |
| Brief summary | Qualitative study of the role of social and psychological variables in maintaining good health and successful ageing in a deprived, post-industrial environment, using the subgroup of 100 "healthy" survivors of the original Renfrew/Paisley study identified in Phase II. |
| Publications arising | |
| The inheritance of cardiovascular risk factors: development of a two generation, genetically based family study | |
| Grantholders | Connell J, Dominiczak A, Johnson K, Watt G |
| Principal Researcher | Sylvia O'Mahoney |
| Award | £146,247 |
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | Aug.1999 - July 2002 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Family study |
| Brief summary | This study aims to use a family-based population study in the west of Scotland to investigate the genetic basis of cardiovascular disease. The study involves the collection of DNA samples from survivors of the original Renfrew/Paisley cohort whose offspring participated in the earlier MIDSPAN Family Study. |
| Psychological morbidity and the risk of mortality in the Midspan Study | ||
| Grantholders | Stansfeld S, Davey Smith G, Gillis C | |
| Principal Researcher | Farhat Rasul | |
| Award | £51,829 | |
| Source of funding | British Heart Foundation | |
| Dates | Nov. 1999 - April 2001 | |
| Study centre | Queen Mary, University of London- Department of Academic Psychiatry | |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley | |
| Brief summary | This project examined the longitudinal associations between psychological distress measured by the General Health Questionnaire and coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. Psychological distress in men was associated with increased CHD incidence and increased risk of all-cause and CHD mortality. | |
| Publications arising | ||
| Psychosocial stress, lifestyle and socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity and mortality | |
| Grantholders | Davey Smith G, Hart C, Macleod J. |
| Principal Researcher | Pauline Heslop, Chris Metcalfe |
| Award | £86,174 |
| Source of funding | ESRC |
| Dates | Jan. 1999 - Dec. 2002 |
| Study centre | University of Bristol |
| Dataset(s) | Collaborative |
| Brief summary | These analyses have investigated the association of measures of stress with a variety of health outcomes. The findings suggest that stress is associated with outcomes dependent upon self-report (e.g. Rose angina) or presentation (e.g. non-organic heart disease hospital admissions), but not harder endpoints such as ECG ischaemia and mortality. |
| Publications arising | |
| Resource centre for genetic scanning strategies in common polygenic disorders | |
| Grantholders | Dominiczak A, Connell J, Milligan G, Johnson K, Watt G. |
| Award | £430,000 |
| Source of funding | Scottish Higher Education Funding Council |
| Dates | 1998 - 2000 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family study |
| Brief summary | Contribution of DNA samples from adult offspring as a potential resource for the new laboratory technology. |
| Modifiable risk factors for stroke incidence and mortality in prospective cohort studies, particularly in women and poorer socio-economic groups | |
| Grantholders | Hole D, Davey Smith G, Gillis C, McEwen J. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £36,182 |
| Source of funding | The Stroke Association |
| Dates | June 1998 - Sept.2000 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative |
| Brief summary | Undertaken in conjunction with the Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland funded project. Additional results showed that early life socioeconomic factors were more important in determining stroke risk than adult socioeconomic factors, and heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of stroke. |
| Publications arising | |
| Modifiable risk factors for stroke incidence and mortality in the west of Scotland, particularly in women and poorer socio-economic groups | |
| Grantholders | Hole D, Gillis C, McEwen J, Davey Smith G. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £57,565 |
| Source of funding | Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland |
| Dates | June 1998 - May 2000 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley |
| Brief summary | The relationships between risk factors and stroke mortality was similar for men and women and were applicable to stroke incidence. Socioeconomic differences in stroke could be explained by known risk factors. Stroke subtypes were found to have different relationships with cholesterol and with height. |
| Publications arising | |
| The effects of deprivation category, risk factor profile and morbidity patterns on subsequent admission patterns and health service utilisation and cost amongst the Paisley/Renfrew /MIDSPAN Cohort | |
| Grantholders | Hanlon P, Wilkie L. |
| Principal Researcher | David Walsh |
| Award | £12,000 |
| Source of funding | SHHD Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | 1997 - 1998 |
| Study centre | Argyll & Clyde Health Board |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley |
| Brief summary | Further analyses of the "linked" data into the influence of "risk factors" on hospital admissions. |
| The role of the perceptions of family history of CHD in persisting inequalities in health and lifestyles | |
| Grantholders | Watt G, Hunt K, Emslie C. |
| Principal Researcher | Carol Emslie |
| Award | £79,262 |
| Source of funding | ESRC Research Programme on Health Inequalities |
| Dates | Feb. 1997 - Jan. 1999 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study |
| Brief summary | Qualitative study of risk perception and behaviour in different social groups. |
| Publications arising | |
| Determinants of good and poor health: a comparison of two subgroups of the Paisley/Renfrew study (PREVAIL) | |
| Grantholders | Hanlon P, Gilhooly M, Scott S |
| Principal Researcher | David Walsh, Pauline Lightbody |
| Award | £48,193, plus £10,000 extension |
| Source of funding | Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | 10/1996 - 9/1998 |
| Study centre | Paisley University Centre of Gerontology & Health Studies and Argyll & Clyde Health Board |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley |
| Brief summary |
This project aimed to determine the characteristics of individuals who remain healthy into later life even though they come from an area of of relative deprivation and poor health. Phase I established linkage of original data with CHI and hospital admissions. Phase II examined the relationship between original Midspan health measures and subsequent mortality and morbidity. The identification and verification of a "healthy" and "unhealthy" subgroup was undertaken. |
| Publications arising | |
| Birthweight and intermediate phenotypes for cardiovascular risk in offspring of the Paisley and Renfrew Family Study | |
| Grantholders | Dominiczak A, Connell J, Watt G. |
| Principal Researcher | Wai Kwong Lee |
| Award | £79,088 |
| Source of funding | Medical Research Council |
| Dates | June 1996 - May 1998 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study |
| Brief summary |
Sub-study of FASTCARD involving analysis of Na-Li counter transport and oral glucose tolerance tests on a random sample of offspring with birthweight data. |
| Family Study of Cardiovascular Disease (FASTCARD) | |
| Grantholders | Watt G, McEwen J, Gillis C, Hole D. |
| Principal Researcher | Mark Upton |
| Award | £487,741 |
| Source of funding | NHS Research & Development Programme |
| Dates | Oct. 1995 - 2000 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study |
| Brief summary |
Building on Mark Upton's Wellcome fellowship, the aim of this study was to establish a family-based sampling frame by adding a large number of cardiovascular and other measures, including DNA, to the cross-sectional study of adult offspring whose parents had taken part in the original Renfrew/Paisley Study 20 years previously. |
| Publications arising | |
| Research training fellowship in clinical epidemiology | |
| Grantholders | Watt G, McEwen J, Gillis C, Davey Smith G. |
| Principal Researcher | Mark Upton |
| Award | £175,199 |
| Source of funding | Wellcome Trust |
| Dates | 1994 - 1998 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative |
| Brief summary |
Two generation study based on adult offspring with a focus on intergeneration trends in respiratory measures. |
| Publications arising | |
| Social status in early life, social mobility, health behaviours and CVD mortality risk | |
| Grantholders | Davey Smith G, McEwen J, Gillis C, Hole D, Blane D. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £88,441 |
| Source of funding | NHS Research & Development programme on cardiovascular disease & stroke |
| Dates | Sept.1994 - Oct.1997 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Collaborative |
| Brief summary |
This study found that there were large socioeconomic differences in CHD and stroke not explained by conventional risk factors. Social mobility made only a small contribution to these differences. Lifetime socioeconomic position had a cumulative influence on CHD risk. Stroke mortality was strongly dependent on social circumstances in childhood. |
| Publications arising | |
| Further analyses of the Renfrew/ Paisley & Collaborative datasets | |
| Grantholders | Watt G, Gillis C, Hole D, Davey Smith G. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £28,436 |
| Source of funding | SHHD Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | Apr.1994 - June1995 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative |
| Brief summary |
Further basic analyses of the baseline and follow-up data with the addition of postcodes and deprivation category to the datasets. Deprivation category and individual social class were found to be independently associated with risk factors, morbidity and mortality. |
| Publications arising | |
| A sampling frame for family studies of the epidemiology of major diseases in the West of Scotland | |
| Grantholders | Watt G, McEwen J, Gillis C, Davey Smith G. |
| Principal Researcher | Catherine Ferrell |
| Award | £28,296 |
| Source of funding | SHHD Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | 1993 - 1994 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Family Study |
| Brief summary |
Feasibility study to establish the numbers of traceable families from the original Renfrew/Paisley cohort and their adult offspring. |
| Publications arising | |
| To what extent does FEV1 and other measures of respiratory disorder account for premature mortality and increased cancer incidence in the west of Scotland? | |
| Grantholders | Watt G, Gillis C, Hole D. |
| Principal Researcher | Carole Hart |
| Award | £31,802 |
| Source of funding | SHHD Chief Scientist Office |
| Dates | Feb.1992 - Jan.1994 |
| Study centre | University of Glasgow |
| Dataset(s) | Renfrew/Paisley & Collaborative |
| Brief summary |
First comprehensive and systematic analysis and reporting of baseline and 15 year mortality data, with a focus on respiratory measures. |
| Publications arising | |