North West Hub for Trials Methodology Research

The MRC, in partnership with the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), has provided a total of £16 million of funding to establish a national network of five hubs for trials methodology research.

Collectively the UK network of Hubs in Trials Methodology research (HTMR)  will facilitate and accelerate the translational process through the development of new and improved approaches for the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials, particularly in methodologically challenging areas.

The MRC North West Hub for Trials Methodology Research (NWHTMR) is a collaboration between the Universities of Liverpool, Lancaster, Bangor and Manchester, involving experts in medical statistics, clinical trial methodology, pharmacoeconomics, sociology and clinical psychology. The Hub Director is Paula Williamson, Head of the Department of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials Research Centre  at the University of Liverpool. The Hub will focus on three methodological research themes (early phase trial design and analysis, later phase trial design and analysis and patients’ perspectives ), developing and translating methods for application across key clinical areas (Drug Safety, Medicines for Children, Epilepsy, Cancer).

Aims and objectives

Our Mission is to create a world-class centre where methodological issues facing the clinical trials community can be investigated, the overall aim being to improve patient care by improving the validity and relevance of the healthcare evidence base.  The major aims of the NWHTMR over the next five years will be to:

· Provide a world-class environment for conducting methodological   research that will improve the design, conduct and analysis of trials;
· Ensure that our findings are used to inform the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of future trials;
· Establish training programmes to develop the next generation of clinical trialists, trial methodologists and clinical trial personnel;
· Work in partnership with others to maximise potential gains.

Key partnerships

The NWHTMR research strategy, projects and output are developed in partnership with a number of establishments including:

MRC HTMR Network

UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Unit Network

Clinical Trials Research Centre

Cochrane Collaboration

Industry

Hub members already have close links with industry partners which have generated clinical trial methodology challenges. The NWHTMR has broadened and developed existing partnerships to ensure that methodology is also applicable to commercial trials.