Research
Professor Calum Semple has studied severe virus disease outbreaks since 1989 in the fields of diagnostics, clinical characterization and clinical trials. He was a founder member of ISARIC. He has led studies of COVID-19, MERS, Monkeypox, Ebola (EVD and Survivors), Lassa Fever, Influenza, and Bronchiolitis, at times field-deployed in austere circumstances.
He is Chief Investigator for BESS, FLU-CATs, WHO ISARIC Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK (CCP-UK), and CO-CIN. ISARIC CCP-UK and CO-CIN are pandemic response studies that have been activated for the covid-19 outbreak.
Calum is the chief investigator for ISARIC’s Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium in the UK (ISARIC4C.net). Thanks to the consortium’s work, the UK now leads the world in having the largest and most detailed observational study on COVID-19 (n>305,000). The harmonised data sets and biological samples have supported vaccine development (ChAdOx), therapeutic trials (RECOVERY) and led to discoveries of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and long-COVID.
BESS - the Bronchiolitis Endotracheal Surfactant Study in a multinational randomised controlled trial of Endotracheal Surfactant administered to infants with life-threatening Bronchiolitis funded by the NIHR EME programme.
He was a co-investigator on ARCHIE (2014-22) and Emergency Evaluation of Convalescent Plasma for Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) in Guinea "Ebola-Tx" (2014-17). Calum was a co-investigator on the FLU-CIN and MOSAIC studies that characterized in near real-time the clinical and immunological response to Influenza A/H1N1pdm2009 infection during the pandemic.
ISARIC's Comprehensive Clinical Characterisation Collaboration in the UK
ISARIC4C
A collaboration of doctors and scientists committed to answering urgent questions about emerging infections and public health threats quickly, openly, and for the benefit of all.
ISARIC is active in 133 countries. Since 2012 we have been preparing for outbreaks worldwide.
ISARIC4C is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and The National Institute For Health Research (NIHR). We share data and samples to get answers as fast as possible. Any investigators with the ability to contribute can access our data and samples. The ISARIC4C study provides a foundation for other studies, such as clinical trials of new treatments, to help better understand the best way to use interventions.
Sampling with consent - Impact
- 35 315 samples shared for Research and Development
- First WHO International Standards for serology and virus
- First SARS-CoV-2 sequence outside of China
- COVID test development and validation
- ChAdOx Vaccine Development
- Baricitinib identified as potential novel class therapeutic
- Seed virus for Human Challenge Study
- Discovery of aetiology of Acute Severe Hepatitis in Children
Data collected under COPI - Impact
- 303 521 patients’ clinical data collated
- Piped to public health agencies, modellers, actuaries, R0
- Dynamic reports to SAGE & NERVTAG
- Risk factors, symptoms, complications, outcomes and resource use
- Nosocomial Infection
- Vaccine protection in general population
And done again for delta and omicron variants, and activated for Monkeypox (Mpox) and Children with Acute Severe Hepatitis of Unknown Origin
- 175 Papers: 4 in Nature, 4 in BMJ, 4 in Lancet
BESS - the Bronchiolitis Endotracheal Surfactant Study
BESS https://www.bess-trial.org.uk/ - the Bronchiolitis Endotracheal Surfactant Study in a multinational randomised controlled trial of Endotracheal Surfactant administered to infants with life-threatening Bronchiolitis funded by the NIHR EME programme and a gift without encumbrance from Chiesi Spa.
BESS is open to recruitment and may report in Autumn 2024.
Ebola_CP “Convalescent plasma for early Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone"
The study Ebola_CP “Convalescent plasma for early Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone (ISRCTN13990511 & PACTR201602001355272) was funded by the Wellcome Trust (Award ref 106491) and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Calum Semple and Janet Scott received support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at the University of Liverpool.
Work in survivors led to understanding Post Ebola Syndrome
Research groups
Research grants
Non-hospitalised Children & young people (CYP) with Long Covid (The CLoCk Study) (CLoCk)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
March 2021 - December 2024
A Randomised, Embedded, Multi-factorial, Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
December 2022 - October 2028
Science and Technology at the Nanoscale: A Nano Atomic Force Microscopy-Infrared (nanoAFM-IR) Platform forImaging and Spectroscopy beyond the diffraction limit
WOLFSON FOUNDATION (UK)
February 2024 - January 2027
OpenSAFELY, ISARIC, PHOSP: evaluating consequences of COVID-19 infection in three very large sources of UK primary and secondary care patient data.
UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
November 2020 - August 2022
Interim support for ISARIC4C Clinical Characterisation Protocol (CCP) activation for acute severe hepatitis in children of unknown cause
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 2022 - September 2024
A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial of the safety and efficacy of tecovirimat for the treatment of non-hospitalised patients with monkeypox virus disease
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
July 2022 - December 2023
GroundsWell: Community-engaged and Data-informed Systems Transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2021 - September 2026
COVID - Curated and Open aNalysis aNd rEsearCh plaTform CO-CONNECT
UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
October 2020 - April 2022
Evaluation of the implementation of pandemic preparedness plans during COVID-19 at the interface with infection prevention and control services in acute and community care.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
March 2021 - September 2022
Predicting unplanned hospital readmission prior to discharge in patients with COVID-19: development, validation, and implementation of a machine- learning based risk prediction model
HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK - HDRUK (UK)
October 2021 - September 2022
What are the patterns of healthcare use in children and young people with SARS-CoV-2 in the 12 months following infection?
HEALTH DATA RESEARCH UK - HDRUK (UK)
October 2021 - December 2022
The UK Interstitial Lung Disease Long-COVID19 study (UKILD-Long COVID): understanding the burden of Interstitial Lung Disease in Long COVID.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2021 - July 2022
A UK underpinning platform to study immunology and immunopathology of COVID-19:The UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2020 - August 2022
Characterization of severe coronavirus infection in humans and model systems for medical countermeasure development and evaluation
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTATION (USA)
September 2020 - September 2025
Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study: a national consortium to understand and improve long-term health outcomes (PHOSP-COVID)
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 2021 - June 2023
Clinical Characterisation of COVID-19 admitted to hospitals in the United Kingdom (Tier Zero of The Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK reporting to CO-CIN) (CO-CIN)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
April 2020 - March 2024
CCP - UK
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
March 2020 - September 2022
The efficacy and mechanism of surfactant therapy in infants with life threatening Bronchiolitis: the Bronchiolitis Endotracheal Surfactant Study (BESS).
CHIESI FARMACEUTICI, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
February 2018 - May 2025
Longitudinal Observational Study of Ebola Survivors with Secondary Retinal Sequelae
THE DOWAGER COUNTESS ELEANOR PEEL TRUST (UK)
September 2017 - December 2021
Defining Post Ebola Virus Disease Ophthalmic Sequelae and Opportunities for Intervention
BAYER CORPORATION (USA)
August 2016 - December 2018
Combating Visual Loss in Ebola Survivors
THE DOWAGER COUNTESS ELEANOR PEEL TRUST (UK)
February 2016 - January 2017
Systematic review of environmental factors predisposing to severe childhood asthma
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
September 2017 - August 2018
International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium - Flu Sequelae
BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION (USA)
February 2016 - May 2018
Clinical provision and priority research activities for Ebola survivors
LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE (UK)
June 2015 - March 2019
Convalescent Plasma for Early Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone “Ebola_CP”
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
March 2015 - September 2017
ISARIC Clinical Characterisation Protocol for Severe Emerging Infection and Short Period Incidence Study of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection
IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (UK)
January 2016 - December 2019
Emergency evaluation of convalescent whole blood (CWB) and plasma (CP) for Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) in affected West African countries - Ebola tx
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
November 2014 - October 2016
ARCHIE - Early antibiotic use in ‘at risk’ children with influenza
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
October 2012 - September 2020
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Bronchiolitis: Clinical and Immunological Associations in Infancy.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
January 2002 - April 2008
UK H1N1 Clinical Information Network (FLU-CIN)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
September 2009 - August 2012
UK Influenza Rapid Response Influenza Clinical Network (UK-Flu Response)
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
November 2009 - July 2011
Evaluation & refinement of pan-flu triage tools (FLU-CAT)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
January 2013 - March 2022
Research collaborations
Dr Roger Parslow
BESS
PICANet University of Leeds
Bronchiolitis Endotracheal Surfactant Study
Prof Howard Clarke, Prof Tony Postle
BESS
University of Southampton
Bronchiolitis Endotracheal Surfactant Study
Dr Tansy Edwards
Ebola CP and Ebola TX
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Convalescent Plasma for Ebola Virus Disease
Prof Johan van Griensven
Ebola CP & Ebola TX
Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG) Antwerp
Convalescent Plasma for Ebola Virus Disease
Prof Simon de Lusignan
FLU-CATs
University of Surrey
Refinement and validation of pandemic influenza triage tools
Dr Dai Evans
FLU-CATs
PRIMIS, University of Nottingham
Refinement and validation of pandemic influenza triage tools.
Prof Jonathan van Tam and Dr Louise Lansbury
FLU-CATS
University of Nottingham
Refinement and validation of pandemic influenza triage tools
Dr Allan Bennett
Health Protection Agency
The Airborne Respiratory Disease Infection Simulator (TARDIS)
Dr Anthony Harnden
University of Oxford
NIHR HTA Grant coapplicant
Dr Jonathan Read
Establishing and modelling contact behaviour in children and their carers, in illness and health.
Dr A Kipar
Substance P and hRSV Bronchiolitis