UKABIF to play lead role in new traumatic brain injury research project

The United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) is proud to announce it will play a vital role in the brand new, multi-million pound research platform being launched to improve the lives of people with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

The Medical Research Council announced on 28th June 2023 that they are to join forces with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Ministry of Defence and Alzheimer’s Research UK to jointly fund the establishment of TBI-Reporter.

Led by the University of Cambridge, TBI-Reporter will bring together experts from across the UK to lead research into TBI, encompassing concussion, and including all ages from infancy to older people.

As part of the £9.5 million research platform, UKABIF will lead the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) aspect of the initiative.

This will involve establishing a PPIE Panel, identifying contributors, holding workshops and carrying out outreach work.

The PPIE Panel will be co-chaired by UKABIF Trustee,  James Piercy and UKABIF Executive Director, Chloe Hayward.

Chloe Hayward said: “We are delighted to be part of this exciting and potentially life-changing research platform. We know that there is still so much to do to improve the diagnosis and treatment of a brain injury.

“UKABIF has a broad network linked to many individuals, patient groups and third sector organisations. We will work to ensure the voices of patients, families and carers are heard and used to shape the research. Their experiences are crucial to the whole initiative.”

It is expected that the PPIE Panel will have up to 12 members, including people with lived experience of a TBI of different severities and contexts, including hard to reach and vulnerable groups.

TBI-Reporter will collaborate with Health Data Research UK and will co-ordinate research data collection and clinical studies.