The Stroke Data Science Catalyst, part of the BHF Data Science Centre, has awarded funding to two research projects focused on COVID-19 and its links to stroke.
The first project will explore the reasons for the rise in stroke in young people. Almost one in four strokes occur in people of working age, so this is a vital area of research. The second project will investigate the longer-term effects of stroke, in particular post-stroke hospital care and how this may have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Maëva May, Associate Director of Systems Engagement at the Stroke Association, outlines why research into stroke is so important.
She said: “By 2035, the number of new strokes in the UK each year will increase from 100,000 to 151,000, costing over £75 billion. The personal cost of stroke can be profound, with stroke survivors having to relearn things most of us take for granted, like how to walk, speak, or even swallow.”
“But even though stroke numbers are rising, research investment in this area has dropped. Between 2018 and 2022, UK government and charitable spend on stroke research fell by 10%. We need to treat stroke as a priority before more lives are changed forever.”
Dr Linxin Li, from the University of Oxford, is leading the research focusing on the incidence of stroke in young people.
She said: “We have seen a doubling of stroke incidence under the age of 55 years in the UK before the pandemic and the reasons for this increase remain unclear. Data science will help us to closely monitor this trend particularly to understand if and how the pandemic has changed the trajectory and the groups most affected. This will be important both to paint a reliable and up-to-date picture of the challenge we are facing and to shed light on how we can improve prevention of stroke at younger ages.”
Dr Michael Allen, from the University of Exeter, was awarded funding to study the long-term consequences of stroke on patients and the NHS.
He said: “Our research team works on improvement in emergency stroke care. Our patient and carer involvement group has always emphasised how we need to have the fullest possible view of the effect of stroke on patients, and not just consider NHS targets or the replication of limited clinical trial outcome measurements. We are excited to work with the Stroke Catalyst which will facilitate our access to an unprecedented level of information on the effect of stroke on patients. We will use this, applying latest ‘Artificial Intelligence’ techniques, to better understand how differences in stroke care affect long term patient outcomes.”
The award announcement follows a competitive funding call in collaboration with the Stroke Association. Funding of up to £25,000 per project was available to support stroke research as part of the BHF Data Science Centre’s CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT Consortium.
BHF Data Science Centre
The BHF Data Science Centre was set up in early 2020 to enable data-led research to improve heart and circulatory health. During the pandemic, much of the Centre’s work focussed on cardiovascular health in relation to COVID-19, leading to the creation of the CVD-COVID-UK Consortium.
Stroke Data Science Catalyst
The Stroke Data Science Catalyst was launched in 2023 in partnership with the Stroke Association, the BHF, and HDR UK to advance data research into stroke which is the leading cause of adult disability in the UK.
Professor Will Whiteley, BHF Data Science Centre Associate Director and Stroke Data Science Catalyst lead, said:
“Data from the NHS, wearable devices and brain scans have enormous potential to improve our understanding of the causes, consequences and care of stroke.”
“The BHF Data Science Centre and the Stroke Data Science Catalyst bring together a fantastic team of data scientists, clinicians, patients and researchers to help to improve prevention and treatment of stroke over the course of the next 5 years.”
“The two projects we are announcing today address important questions about the effect of the pandemic on stroke in young people and the provision of stroke care.”
The newly funded projects will enhance work in this key area
and enable researchers to make impactful, health-relevant findings at speed.
“The next ten years are a critical time for stroke. We’ve invested in the Stroke Data Science Catalyst because we believe it’s possible to mitigate or even avert the stroke healthcare crisis facing us. Large-scale, fast-moving research approaches like data science can help us swiftly build the evidence base for urgently needed improvements to healthcare policy and service provision.”
– Dr Maëva May, Associate Director of Systems Engagement at the Stroke Association
All studies funded in this latest call have been assessed by the Centre’s Approvals and Oversights board, which includes members of our public advisory group to ensure that research meet people’s needs and have patient voices embedded throughout. Patient and public contributors were included in the review and selection of projects to be funded.
List of funded projects
Impact of COVID-19 on stroke incidence, severity, aetiology, management and outcome in younger vs. older individuals in England, Dr Linxin Li, University of Oxford.
STROKE-IMPACT: What are the long-term consequences of stroke on the patient and to the NHS, and how does COVID-19 contribute to variation? Dr Michael Allen, University of Exeter.
Once approved, these studies appear on the Consortium pages. To find out more about the CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT Consortium, read more here.
