southampton

Project overview

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has funded the RECUR Programme to develop and test interventions to find out if they can reduce the frequency, severity and duration of respiratory infections (such as colds, sore throats, sinus, chest or ear infections, flu and COVID-19). We have developed a website called Immune Defence which will help us to see if using nasal sprays, or getting more physically active and reducing stress, can help people get fewer of these types of infections. We have involved both a range of patients and patient representatives as collaborators in the design of our study to help ensure the interventions are relevant and appropriate to patients.

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Staff

Lead researchers

Professor Paul Little

Professor in Primary Care Research

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Other researchers

Professor Lucy Yardley OBE

Professorial Fellow-Research

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Dr Adam Geraghty BSc MSc PhD CPsychol FHEA

Assoc Prof Psychology & Behavioural Med

Research interests

Self-management of pain and other chronic symptoms/conditions
Mental health
Digital interventions for primary care and public health

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Emeritus Professor Michael Moore

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Dr Ben Ainsworth

Associate Professor

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Professor Gareth Griffiths

Director Clinical Trials Unit

Research interests

Gareth Griffiths is Professor of Clinical Trials and directs our Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. He works with clinicians, research groups and other scientists in the development of important clinical trials and other well-designed studies that aim to improve the treatment of a range of cancers and other diseases, and early diagnosis of cancer.
His works spans the different phases of clinical trials, from small dose finding and safety studies involving a handful of patients to larger trials of hundreds of patients looking at whether the treatments are better than the current standard treatments. His early diagnosis studies include thousands of patients looking at new ways to detect cancer early. Ultimately, these studies could help change the way that patients are treated for the better, by creating the evidence so as the new treatments becomes the standard of care for future patients treated in the NHS.
Phase I-III clinical trials

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Dr Jane Vennik

Senior Research Fellow

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Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Primary Care Research Centre

We are an internationally renowned centre of excellence known for conducting high-quality research to improve people’s lives. We inform and enhance evidence based primary health care in the UK and around the world.

Research outputs

Nasal sprays and behavioural interventions compared with usual care for acute respiratory illness in primary care: a randomised, controlled, open-label, parallel-group trial

Paul Little, Jane Vennik, Kate Rumsby, Taeko Becque, Michael Moore, Nick Francis, Katherine Bradbury, Kate Greenwell, Laura Dennison, Sian Holt, James Denison-Day, Ben Ainsworth, James Raftery, Tammy Thomas, Sam Williams, Tracey Sach, Sascha Miller, Lucy Yardley & Adam W.A. Geraghty, 2024, The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 12(8), 619-632

DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(24)00140-1

Type: article

Determining the clinical and cost-effectiveness of nasal sprays and a physical activity and stress management intervention to reduce respiratory tract infections in primary care

Jane Vennik, Adam W.A. Geraghty, Kate Martinson, Lucy Yardley, Beth Stuart, Michael Moore, Nick Francis, Alastair Hay, Theo Verheij, Katherine Bradbury, Kate Greenwell, Laura Dennison, Sian Williamson, James Denison-Day, Ben Ainsworth, James Raftery, Shihua Zhu, Christopher Butler, Samantha Richards-Hall & Paul Little, 2023, PLoS ONE, 18(7)

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285693

Type: article

Using nasal sprays to prevent respiratory tract infections:

Sian Williamson, Laura Dennison, Kate Greenwell, James Denison-Day, Fiona Mowbray, Samantha Richards-Hall, Debs Smith, Katherine Bradbury, Benjamin Ainsworth, Paul Little, Adam Geraghty & Lucy Yardley, 2022, BMJ Open, 12(6)

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059661

Type: article

Patient perceptions of vulnerability to recurrent respiratory tract infections and prevention strategies; a qualitative study

Laura Dennison, Sian Williamson, Kate Greenwell, Molly Handcock, Katherine Bradbury, Jane Vennik, Lucy Yardley, Paul Little & Adam Geraghty, 2022, BMJ Open, 12(4), e055565

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055565

Type: article