Title: NIHR HPRU in Gastrointestinal Infections (HPRU-GI)
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: Gastrointestinal infections are a leading public health problem, and up to 17 million people suffer from diarrhoea each year in the UK. We have shown that poorer people are disproportionately affected. Diarrhoea causes disruption to daily activities at best, and sometimes, it can cause serious illness and even death, or may lead to longer-term health problems. Even when disease is mild, diarrhoea leads to significant economic loses through time lost to work, school absenteeism and associated medical costs. Our comprehensive approach aims to (1) improve the reporting of gastroenteritis to ensure public health surveillance captures the burden of illness more accurately across all groups in society; (2) improve detection of microbes that cause diarrhoea; (3) track the origin of diarrhoea-causing microbes to stop outbreaks early; and (4) identify ways to prevent diarrhoeal disease across society, and in particular among those groups that are worse affected. Scientists and clinicians will work together with patients and the public, in partnership with academic organisations, the NHS, and Public Health England (PHE). This collaborative approach will ensure that our research is aligned with national and international priorities and that it is translated into benefits for patients and populations. Our achievements to date have ranged from introducing novel technologies into routine PHE outbreak investigation and reducing the risk of gastrointestinal infections transmitted by food, to informing introduction of vaccines to prevent childhood diarrhoea. The HPRU-GI will bring together academics in the areas of microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, data science, mathematics, and social science, with public health scientists and practitioners. The HPRU-GI will benefit from the two partner Universities' investments in world-class research facilities and expertise. Together, this will provide the rich, collaborative environment needed to develop effective tools to improve the detection of diarrhoeal disease and enhance the prevention and prediction of outbreaks. The HPRU-GI will define the biological, environmental and behavioural factors that contribute to a greater burden of diarrhoeal disease in deprived populations in England, and the disease burden linked to travel, thereby informing new approaches to disease control. The HPRU-GI will provide multidisciplinary training for postgraduate and postdoctoral scientists, and frontline public health practitioners. Together, this holistic approach will reduce the public health burden of gastrointestinal infections, reduce health inequalities and will deliver the next generation of health protection scientists.

Lay abstract: Gastrointestinal infections are a leading public health problem, and up to 17 million people suffer from diarrhoea each year in the UK. We have shown that poorer people are disproportionately affected. Diarrhoea causes disruption to daily activities at best, and sometimes, it can cause serious illness and even death, or may lead to longer-term health problems. Even when disease is mild, diarrhoea leads to significant economic loses through time lost to work, school absenteeism and associated medical costs. Our comprehensive approach aims to (1) improve the reporting of gastroenteritis to ensure public health surveillance captures the burden of illness more accurately across all groups in society; (2) improve detection of microbes that cause diarrhoea; (3) track the origin of diarrhoea-causing microbes to stop outbreaks early; and (4) identify ways to prevent diarrhoeal disease across society, and in particular among those groups that are worse affected. Scientists and clinicians will work together with patients and the public, in partnership with academic organisations, the NHS, and Public Health England (PHE). This collaborative approach will ensure that our research is aligned with national and international priorities and that it is translated into benefits for patients and populations. Our achievements to date have ranged from introducing novel technologies into routine PHE outbreak investigation and reducing the risk of gastrointestinal infections transmitted by food, to informing introduction of vaccines to prevent childhood diarrhoea. The HPRU-GI will bring together academics in the areas of microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, data science, mathematics, and social science, with public health scientists and practitioners. The HPRU-GI will benefit from the two partner Universities' investments in world-class research facilities and expertise. Together, this will provide the rich, collaborative environment needed to develop effective tools to improve the detection of diarrhoeal disease and enhance the prevention and prediction of outbreaks. The HPRU-GI will define the biological, environmental and behavioural factors that contribute to a greater burden of diarrhoeal disease in deprived populations in England, and the disease burden linked to travel, thereby informing new approaches to disease control. The HPRU-GI will provide multidisciplinary training for postgraduate and postdoctoral scientists, and frontline public health practitioners. Together, this holistic approach will reduce the public health burden of gastrointestinal infections, reduce health inequalities and will deliver the next generation of health protection scientists.

Research activity codes: 2.6 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (AETIOLOGY)
Health categories: INFECTION