Establishment of a National Network on Musculoskeletal Ageing
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Our overall aim is to establish a new national network which will underpin a step change in musculoskeletal ageing research capacity and strategy, by identifying: key tractable research priorities; developing an integrated multi-disciplinary grouping to address the identified research gaps; providing a platform to disseminate best practice; supporting Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to build research capacity and ensure longevity to current UKRI investments; and coordinating an ongoing programme of innovative studies to identify, develop and translate findings from our discovery science to clinical impact. Crucially the network will contribute to delivering the government “Grand Challenge” target of 5 more years of independent living by 2035, by identifying approaches to maintain mobility in old age. The network will bring together the scientific excellence of the three principal applicants. Focusing on the leading chronic non-communicable disorders of bone, muscle and joint (osteoporosis, sarcopenia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis), the integration of these groups will galvanize a truly bench to bedside approach to provide a strong evidence base for health policy, underpinning a step change in UK musculoskeletal ageing research capability/capacity, and promoting increased healthspan.
Technical Summary
Our overall aim is to establish a new national network which will underpin a step change in musculoskeletal ageing research capacity and strategy, by identifying: key tractable research priorities; developing an integrated multi-disciplinary grouping to address the identified research gaps; providing a platform to disseminate best practice; supporting Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to build research capacity and ensure longevity to current UKRI investments; and coordinating an ongoing programme of innovative studies to identify, develop and translate findings from our discovery science to clinical impact. Crucially the network will contribute to delivering the government “Grand Challenge” target of 5 more years of independent living by 2035, by identifying approaches to maintain mobility in old age. The network will bring together the scientific excellence of the three principal applicants. Focusing on the leading chronic non-communicable disorders of bone, muscle and joint (osteoporosis, sarcopenia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis), the integration of these groups will galvanize a truly bench to bedside approach to provide a strong evidence base for health policy, underpinning a step change in UK musculoskeletal ageing research capability/capacity, and promoting increased healthspan.
People |
ORCID iD |
Cyrus Cooper (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Honvo G
(2023)
Measures of attributes of locomotor capacity in older people: a systematic literature review following the COSMIN methodology
in Age and Ageing
Fuggle N
(2023)
Correction: Novel formulations of oral bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Westbury LD
(2023)
Machine learning as an adjunct to expert observation in classification of radiographic knee osteoarthritis: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Rambukwella R
(2023)
Hospital admissions and mortality over 20 years in community-dwelling older people: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Bloom I
(2022)
Nutritional risk and its relationship with physical function in community-dwelling older adults.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Curtis EM
(2022)
Management of patients at very high risk of osteoporotic fractures through sequential treatments.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Dennison EM
(2023)
Do lifestyle, anthropometric and demographic factors associated with muscle strength differ in a UK and Japanese cohort? An exploratory analysis.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Beaudart C
(2023)
Measuring health-related quality of life in sarcopenia: summary of the SarQoL psychometric properties.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Veronese N
(2022)
Knee osteoarthritis and adverse health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies
in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
Fuggle N
(2022)
Management of hand osteoarthritis: from an US evidence-based medicine guideline to a European patient-centric approach.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Kanis JA
(2022)
Intervention thresholds and diagnostic thresholds in the management of osteoporosis.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Veronese N
(2022)
Attributes and definitions of locomotor capacity in older people: a World Health Organisation (WHO) locomotor capacity working group meeting report.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Bevilacqua G
(2023)
Investigating the relationship between self-perception of fracture risk and prior fracture: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.
in Aging clinical and experimental research
Dimai HP
(2022)
Osteoporosis treatment in Austria-assessment of FRAX-based intervention thresholds for high and very high fracture risk.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Saleh YAL
(2022)
Incidence of hip fracture in Saudi Arabia and the development of a FRAX model.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Harvey NC
(2022)
Towards a cure for osteoporosis: the UK Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) Osteoporosis Research Roadmap.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Chotiyarnwong P
(2022)
Is it time to consider population screening for fracture risk in postmenopausal women? A position paper from the International Osteoporosis Foundation Epidemiology/Quality of Life Working Group.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Willers C
(2022)
Osteoporosis in Europe: a compendium of country-specific reports.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Abdulla N
(2022)
Epidemiology of hip fracture in Qatar and development of a country specific FRAX model.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Harvey NC
(2022)
UKRI MRC National Musculoskeletal Ageing Network: strategic prioritisation to increase healthy lifespan and minimise physical frailty.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Gregson CL
(2022)
UK clinical guideline for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Gavilanez EL
(2022)
An assessment of intervention thresholds for high fracture risk in Chile.
in Archives of osteoporosis
Gates LS
(2022)
Recreational Physical Activity and Risk of Incident Knee Osteoarthritis: An International Meta-Analysis of Individual Participant-Level Data.
in Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)
Curtis EM
(2022)
Epigenetic regulation of bone mass.
in Best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism
Laskou F
(2022)
Functional capacity, sarcopenia, and bone health.
in Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology
Curtis EM
(2022)
Osteoporosis in 2022: Care gaps to screening and personalised medicine.
in Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology
Kowo-Nyakoko F
(2023)
Evaluation of two methods of bone age assessment in peripubertal children in Zimbabwe.
in Bone
Moon RJ
(2022)
Is the skull responsive to bone mineralisation stimuli in children?
in Bone
Skjødt MK
(2023)
Healthcare costs associated with opportunistically identifiable vertebral fractures.
in Bone
Laskou F
(2022)
Relationships Between Muscle Parameters and History of Falls and Fractures in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study: Do All Muscle Components Relate Equally to Clinical Outcomes?
in Calcified tissue international
Ladang A
(2023)
Biochemical Markers of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging to be Assessed in Clinical Trials of Drugs Aiming at the Treatment of Sarcopenia: Consensus Paper from an Expert Group Meeting Organized by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) and the Centre Académique de Recherche et d'Expérimentation en Santé (CARES SPRL), Under the Auspices of
in Calcified tissue international
Zhang J
(2022)
Is Regular Weight-Bearing Physical Activity Throughout the Lifecourse Associated with Better Bone Health in Late Adulthood?
in Calcified tissue international
Parsons CM
(2022)
Assessment of Activity Profiles in Older Adults and Lower Limb Bone Parameters: Observations from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.
in Calcified tissue international
McCloskey E
(2022)
Trabecular Bone Score Adjustment for the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX®).
in Calcified tissue international
Cawthon P
(2022)
Defining terms commonly used in sarcopenia research: a glossary proposed by the Global Leadership in Sarcopenia (GLIS) Steering Committee
in European Geriatric Medicine
Raisi-Estabragh Z
(2022)
Left atrial structure and function are associated with cardiovascular outcomes independent of left ventricular measures: a UK Biobank CMR study.
in European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging
Elghazaly H
(2023)
Characterizing the hypertensive cardiovascular phenotype in the UK Biobank.
in European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging
Ardissino M
(2022)
Pericardial adiposity is independently linked to adverse cardiovascular phenotypes: a CMR study of 42 598 UK Biobank participants.
in European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging
Szabo L
(2023)
The role of obesity-related cardiovascular remodelling in mediating incident cardiovascular outcomes: a population-based observational study.
in European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging
Remfry E
(2023)
Sex-based differences in risk factors for incident myocardial infarction and stroke in the UK Biobank.
in European heart journal. Quality of care & clinical outcomes
Bevilacqua G
(2022)
Medical history, medication use and physical activity in adults in their eighth and ninth decade of life in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.
in EXCLI journal
Burton MA
(2024)
The serum small non-coding RNA (SncRNA) landscape as a molecular biomarker of age associated muscle dysregulation and insulin resistance in older adults.
in FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Han SM
(2022)
A nutritional supplement containing zinc during preconception and pregnancy increases human milk zinc concentrations.
in Frontiers in nutrition
Laskou F
(2022)
A study of diet in older community-dwelling adults in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the Southampton Longitudinal Study of Ageing (SaLSA).
in Frontiers in nutrition
Krstic N
(2022)
Early life vitamin D depletion and mechanical loading determine methylation changes in the RUNX2, RXRA, and osterix promoters in mice.
in Genes & nutrition
Raisi-Estabragh Z
(2023)
Incident cardiovascular events and imaging phenotypes in UK Biobank participants with past cancer.
in Heart (British Cardiac Society)
Raisi-Estabragh Z
(2023)
Lower birth weight is linked to poorer cardiovascular health in middle-aged population-based adults.
in Heart (British Cardiac Society)
Description | European guidance on very high fracture risk (NCH, CC) |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | National Osteoporosis Guideline Group Advisory Committee (NCH, CC) |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | Nutritional determinants of skeletal development and bone loss: an investigation using a novel computer vision assessment of bone microarchitecture |
Amount | £36,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Southampton |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2022 |
End | 09/2025 |
Description | Preventing broken bones in older people: from research to policy to practice |
Amount | £29,566 (GBP) |
Funding ID | MRF-145-0011-DG-HARV-C0913 |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Department | Medical Research Foundation |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2022 |
End | 09/2022 |
Description | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Collaborator Contribution | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Impact | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Organisation | University of Manchester |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Collaborator Contribution | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Impact | AUGMENT UK Biobank collaboration |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Abstract Writing Masterclass |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Nick Harvey presented the MRC National Musculoskeletal Ageing Network abstract writing seminar, which took place on December 13th 2022. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Article written by Nick Harvey in UoS Enews |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Professor Nick Harvey wrote an article for the University of Southampton Enews in which he wrote about the welcome return to face-face- meetings; the opportunity for in-person participation in the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Scientific Conference in Austin, Texas and to be able to catch up with colleagues and friends from all over the world. He also mentioned that the new term brings progression of a major initiative in UK musculoskeletal science with the consolidation of the strategic framework for our UKRI MRC National Musculoskeletal Ageing Network. The network will be led by the University of Southampton. He also added that it was great to see the exciting news of the UK Biobank Repeat Imaging Study recently made public. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | ESCEO Working Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Cyrus Cooper attended the ESCEO Working Group on September 9th 2022. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Gestational vitamin D supplementation: observation mechanism and intervention in the MAVIDOS trial. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Nick Harvey gave a talk at the BSR Science Forum on 18th February 2022. Up to 50 people attended. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Launch of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre & MRC National Musculoskeletal Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The launch of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre and the MRC National Musculoskeletal Ageing Network was an online event. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/play |
Description | Lay presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Nick Harvey delivered a lay presentation on Osteoporosis to the Patient Partner Group at the St Francis Surgery in Hedge End, Southampton. Around 100 people attended. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Presentation given at ESCEO Meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Cyrus gave a presentation entitled "Optamising the prescription of oral Bisphosphonates" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Press Release and publication of paper |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Press release for the paper entitled "Is the skull responsive to bone mineralisation stimuli in children? published in the journal Bone. There was some media attention following the publication of this paper. The press release was entitled "Skulls stay strong despite worse diets" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Press Release of published paper |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | There were a number of online citings following a press release entitled "Three coffees a day could help keep the doctor away." This was to do with an article published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology entitled: Light to moderated coffee consumption is associated with lower risk of death: UK Biobank Study. Simon J, Fung K, et al. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Preventing broken bones in older people: from research to policy to practice |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The University Faculty of Medicine print a Research Roundup Newsletter. These newsletters aim to celebrate success, provide research updates and give information on upcoming opportunities. The second of these newsletters was written by Professor Nick Harvey. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | REF 2021 University Results Presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Cyrus attended the REF2021 University Results Presentation meeting on 9th May 2022. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Southampton Women's Survey Celebration Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | As part of the 50th Anniversary of the NIHR BRC, the Southampton Women's Survey were chosen to represent some of the research that has taken place in Southampton. The BRC funded an evening at the City Art Gallery in Southampton for 50 SWS participants and their family or friends. The speakers who talked about the study findings were Prof. Cyrus Copper, Prof Keith Godfrey, Prof Janis Baird and Prof Hazel Inskip who wrote and sang a song at the end of the presentation whilst playing her ukulele. SWS staff in attendance and who organised the logistics for the event were research nurses, Julia Hammond, Nicole Minette, Karen McGill and Tina Horsfall. They received requests about further participation or involvement, the audience reported change in views, opinions or behaviours, requests for further information. Children were also recruited for PPI for the BRC. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | University of Southampton Science and Engineering Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Nick Harvey was part of a team from the MRC LEU that took part in this event. The event was well attended with members of the public showing great interest. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | WCO-IOF-ESCEO Conference - Virtual |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Professor Nick Harvey, Deputy Director of MRC LEU gave the Plenary Lecture 2 entitled 'Update of the management of patients at imminent fracture risk at the WCO-IOF-ESCEO conference on 24th March 2022, which was held virtually. This was attended by over 1,000 people. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |