New research into infectious diseases could help to track future pandemics
New research into infectious diseases could help to track future pandemics
30 January 2023
Researchers at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust will use thousands of blood samples provided by women as part of their maternity care to examine rates of immunity and infection during their pregnancy.
A similar study carried out in 2020 enabled experts to track the spread of Covid-19 – and they believe developing this approach could enhance our understanding of other infectious diseases like polio and rubella.
The research could even help scientists learn more about future pandemics by pinpointing when and where viruses spread.
The project is being delivered by the Parasol Foundation Centre for Women’s Health and Cancer Research – a partnership between Imperial College Healthcare, Imperial Health Charity and the Parasol Foundation that aims to support vital research into women’s health.
"Across the country women give over 500,000 of these samples each year, so there’s real potential for us to see where and how levels of infection and immunity are changing."
Alison Perry, Research Midwife
Set up in 2022, the centre’s research programme is focused on developing advanced treatments for women’s cancers and helping us better understand the health impacts of pre-term birth.
This new project will expand the centre’s research into infectious diseases as well as creating exciting career opportunities for women in healthcare. It will be led by research midwife Alison Perry, with support from a wider team of expert scientists at Imperial College Healthcare.
Alison said the project would help us understand where infections are occurring and what sort of people they are likely to affect, which will ultimately lead to improvements in care and treatment.
“These routine blood samples are stored for two years when women book for pregnancy care, just in case they get exposed to an infection,” explained Alison.
“Across the country women give over 500,000 of these samples each year, so there’s real potential for us to see where and how levels of infection and immunity are changing.”
The new project involves setting up focus groups with women in north west London so that their input can help to shape the research. The data will be fed into a ‘sleeping’ study that could then be used to track the spread of a future pandemic.
Dr Lynne Sykes, a Consultant Obstetrician at Imperial College Healthcare, will also be part of the research team.
“During the pandemic these routine blood samples were used to help us see when Covid-19 started to transmit between people,” she said.
“The Covid study was the first one to use these samples in this way – and this could be a really exciting next step.”
The Parasol Foundation Centre for Women’s Health and Cancer Research is generously supported by Ms Ruth Monicka Parasol and the Parasol Foundation. The Foundation has a strong commitment to improving women’s health and creating opportunities for women to pursue successful careers in research and STEM fields.
Alison Perry will be based at the George Institute for Global Health in White City. Her role has been fully funded by the Parasol Foundation.
You can find out more about the project at imperialcharity.org.uk/parasol
