Vascular research group

The Vascular Research Group was established 15 years ago in collaboration with Hull Royal Infirmary and investigates all aspects of vascular disease and associated therapies. The group has a proven track record of attracting multimillion pound grant funding, high impact factor peer reviewed publications, successful supervision of PhD, MD, MSc, BSc and PGCert students, support of the development of successful independent early career researchers.

The group has become the hub of a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding and managing all aspects of arterial and venous disease. Staff include 7 consultant vascular surgeons; 6 consultant interventional radiologists; 4 Specialist Registrars (2 ACLs); 1 core surgical trainee; 4 FY1 (1 AF post); 3 vascular technicians / sonographers; 5 specialist / research nurses; 7 research fellows; 2 data entry clerks; and a Research Manager. Facilities include fully equipped vascular laboratory (4 ultrasound scanners, plethysmography equipment; treadmills; cardiopulmonary exercise testing, flow mediated vasodilatation, arterial stiffness and pulse wave velocity assessment); access to CT, MRa, combined procedures and interventional radiology suites.

The group collaborates with some of the strongest departments within the University of Hull including: Clinical Biosciences Institute; Centre for Medical Engineering and Technology; Biological Sciences; and Sport, Health and Exercise Science. It has close links with the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, clinical departments in the NHS and to industry.

Members

Head of Group

Professor Ian Chetter
Chair of Surgery/HOD and Associate Dean for Research, Hull York Medical School
Chair Education Committee, Vascular Society GB&I
Associate Clinical Director R&D, Hull & East Yorkshire NHS Trust
Royal College of Surgeons Surgical Specialty Lead, Vascular Surgery Research

Academic and research staff

Mr Daniel Carradice - Senior Lecturer in Vascular Surgery, Hull York Medical School, Honorary Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon
Amy Harwood - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Mr Paris Limin Cai - Clinical Research Fellow
Mr Abduraheem Mohamed - Clinical Research Fellow
Mr Ali Raza - Clinical Research Fellow
Mr George Smith - Senior Lecturer in Vascular Surgery, Hull York Medical School, Honorary Consultant Vascular Surgeon
Mr Joshua Totty - Clinical Research Fellow
Mr Tom Wallace - Vascular ST7/NIHR Clinical Lecturer

Professional support staff

Claire Acey - PA to Professor Ian Chetter/ Academic Vascular Surgical Unit Administrator
Lynne Andrews - Data Co-ordinator/Clinical Trials Assistant
Anna Firth - Vascular Research Nurse
Caroline Jennison - Data Co-ordinator/Clinical Trials Assistant
Judith Long - Clinical Trials Manager
Josie Hatfield - Vascular Research Nurse
Tracey Roe - Vascular Research Nurse

Postgraduate research students

Joanne Palmer - PhD Student
Sean Pymer - PhD Student

Research projects

Our current research interests include:

Surgical Wounds Healing by Secondary Intention

Surgical Wounds Healing by Secondary Intention funded by a £2 million NIHR Programme Grant the AVSU in collaboration with colleagues from York and Leeds are investigating the aetiology, impact and management of these wounds.

Lower limb peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

The group has a 15 year history in this field. In particular, the impact of PVD on sufferer’s quality of life, physical function, balance and the clinical and cost effectiveness of intervention. More recently the focus has shifted to analyse the mechanism by which supervised exercise programmes improve outcome in patients with claudication.

Lower limb venous disease

There has been a revolution in the management of varicose veins over the last decade with minimally invasive therapies (Endovenous thermal and chemical ablation). The group was at the forefront of this development with the publication of several seminal papers cumulating in a recent NEJM publication (Brittenden J et al 2014).

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) disease

Using finite element analysis of CT scans this programme of research has analysed the impact of peak wall stress on AAA expansion, rupture and AAA wall MMPs and TIMPS. More recently investigating the clinical and cost effectiveness of supervised exercise prior to AAA repair. We have also been co-investigators in the NIHR HTA funded studies analysing the effect of ACE inhibitors of the growth rate of small AAA and comparing endovascular and open repair of ruptured AAA.