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Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Why medical research needs to be more inclusive — and what we're doing about it
The covid-19 pandemic changed many aspects of our lives. One of the most notable shifts in healthcare has been a much greater awareness of how health outcomes differ across different communities — and how our medical research has not always kept up. Take, for example, the pulse oximeter — a device usually clipped to a finger and used to monitor oxygen levels in patients. As low oxygen levels were key concern for those with severe covid, pulse oximeters were used a lot. They were also found to be significantly less accurate for people with darker skin, often overestimating oxygen levels and potentially delaying urgent treatment. The pulse oximeter is a poster child for the dangerous consequences of not including a diverse range of people in health research. Not only do individuals receive poorer care, but care is also unequal, and trust in the healthcare systems erodes. This is part of a wider issue. For decades, randomised trials — the gold standard for testing new treatments — have disproportionately involved white, male, and relatively healthy participants. That's despite the fact many health conditions affect other groups in more severe or complex ways. Groups that are frequently left out include women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, older adults, pregnant or lactating females and people with disabilities. The pulse oximeter is a poster child for the dangerous consequences of not including a diverse range of people in health research. These are called under-served groups — populations under-represented in research despite often carrying a higher burden of disease. Women, for example, have been under-represented in many trials for decades, resulting in women having more side-effects because of biological differences between how male and female bodies absorb some medicines. Take heart disease as an example. Women are just as likely to have a heart attack as men, but women are more likely to die from one. Women are also more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, but research often fails to examine womne separately, excludes them or doesn't include them in sufficient numbers to say anything meaningful about potential differences. Research conducted with and on both sexes can help reduce these disparities. This is the motivation behind SENSITISE, a new EU-funded project in UCC, with partner institutes the University of Aberdeen, UK, Masaryk University, Czech Republic and ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) France. SENSITISE — short for inclusive clinical trials: training and education to increase the involvement of under-served groups — is about creating real, practical change in how we educate the next generation of trialists. Supported by the EU Erasmus+ programme until 2026, SENSITISE includes a 12-week, open-access curriculum available online, a manual for teachers, in-person workshops for those working in clinical trials, and translations into multiple languages to ensure broad accessibility. Our audience includes not just students and researchers, but also public and patient contributors, because inclusion starts with listening to the people affected. Our goal is simple but urgent: to make inclusive health research the norm, not the exception. This political backdrop makes the work of SENSITISE even more urgent. While parts of the world move backwards on inclusion, we are pushing forward — developing tools to help the next generation of researchers build better, fairer trials from the ground up. In the United States, a dramatic shift in policy is under way. President Donald Trump recently issued executive orders banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, including in healthcare and medical research. Frances Shiely: If trials are designed only for the majority, then under-served communities will continue to receive second-rate care, or no care at all. The orders eliminate DEI officers, revoke protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, and direct federal agencies to redefine gender strictly in biological terms — an approach that risks excluding entire communities from equitable access to healthcare and research participation. The withdrawal of women's reproductive rights and subsequently, women's rights, along with banning the word ''women'' from all governmental health websites is unimaginable to us here in Europe. Even before the Trump administration came to power in January 2025, the United States had work to do to improve women's health. In 2022, maternal mortality, deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth, was 22.3/100,000 live births, more than double and sometimes triple the rate for most high-income countries (Ireland is 8.3/100,000; UK is 13.6/100,000; Australia and Germany, 3.5/100,000; Netherlands 2.8/100,000). But this hides the health inequities. For black women in the US, the maternal mortality in 2022 was 49.5/100,000 compared to 19.0/100,000 for white women. According to figures from the World Health Organization, maternal mortality for black women living in the US is higher than overall mortality in many countries, including Argentina, Egypt and Mongolia. This is not only a US issue: maternal mortality for black women in the UK is 35.1/100,000. There is work to do in Europe too. However, the policies of the Trump administration will widen these gaps, not narrow them. The impact of this disruption of science and the subsequent health outcomes will be profound and would have seemed almost unimaginable only a few months ago. Left unchallenged, the threat of these policies spreading increases. If trials do not include the people who have most to gain from improved treatment, inequity in health outcomes becomes a persistent feature of the healthcare system. This is bad science, and bad for society. Inclusive research isn't just about who gets invited to participate — it's about who benefits from science. If trials are designed only for the majority, then under-served communities will continue to receive second-rate care, or no care at all. The result? Worse outcomes; widening inequality; a healthcare system that serves some, but not all. We are at a crossroads. One path leads to a narrower, exclusionary science that leaves people behind. The other leads to research that reflects the real world and delivers better outcomes for all. At UCC, we're proud to be leading the way through SENSITISE, equipping the next generation to build trials that are inclusive, ethical and effective. Because inclusive research doesn't just change science, it changes lives. Frances Shiely is professor of clinical trials, HRB Clinical Research Facility and School of Public Health, at University College Cork Read More Have we learned any lessons after Grace?
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Who is Leila Aboulela, the Sudanese-Scottish writer who just won the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize?
Sudanese-Scottish author Leila Aboulela was named winner of the 2025 PEN Pinter Prize, on Wednesday, joining a prestigious list of writers who, in the spirit of Harold Pinter, have cast an 'unflinching, unswerving gaze upon the world.' The announcement was made at English PEN's annual summer party in London, where Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, 2007) and Amira Ghazalla (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, 2017) brought Aboulela's work to life in moving readings before an audience of writers, publishers, and cultural figures. Calling the honour 'a complete and utter surprise,' Aboulela said the award brings expansion and depth to the meaning of freedom of expression and the stories that get heard. 'For someone like me, a Muslim Sudanese immigrant who writes from a religious perspective probing the limits of secular tolerance, this recognition feels truly significant,' she said. Aboulela will formally receive the prize at a ceremony on October 10 at the British Library, where she will also announce the Writer of Courage, an individual persecuted for their work defending free expression, with whom she will share the honour. The title has previously been bestowed on figures such as British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah (2024) who was persecuted for 'spreading false news' and Uyghur folklore expert Rahile Dawut (2023), who was was reportedly sentenced to life in prison by Chinese authorities on charges of endangering state security. Born in Cairo and raised in Khartoum, Aboulela moved to Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1990. Her work explores the themes of migration, faith, memory, and the interior lives of Muslim women navigating the intersections of culture, belief, and belonging. Her novels, including The Translator (1999), Minaret (2005), and most recently, River Spirit (2023), have earned critical acclaim, have been translated into 15 languages, and are now studied in universities. Aboulela was the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing and has won both the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award and the Scottish Book Awards. She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Aberdeen and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This year's judges, Ruth Borthwick, Chair of English PEN; poet and author Mona Arshi; and novelist Nadifa Mohamed, praised Aboulela for the force of her storytelling. 'Leila is a writer for this moment,' said Borthwick. 'She tells us rarely heard stories that make us think anew about who lives in our neighbourhoods and communities.' Arshi noted the 'subtlety and courage' with which Aboulela brings silenced lives to the forefront, while Mohamed lauded her for examining 'the interior lives of migrants' and writing with 'a commitment to make the lives and decisions of Muslim women central to her fiction.' The judges emphasised how Aboulela's work, spanning novels, short stories, and radio plays, provides 'a balm, a shelter, and an inspiration' amid global tumult and displacement, particularly poignant given the ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, and beyond. Named after the late Harold Pinter, the Nobel Laureate whose fierce moral clarity defined much of post-war British drama, the PEN Pinter Prize honours writers who exhibit what Pinter called an 'unflinching, unswerving' gaze upon the world. Since its inception in 2009, the award has recognized writers such as Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie (2018), Arundhati Roy (2024), and, Salman Rushdie (2014), who have consistently challenged political complacency through literature. The tradition continues in Aboulela's work. Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
The National
09-07-2025
- Health
- The National
Stroke deaths higher in deprived Scottish areas, study finds
A study by the University of Aberdeen, funded by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS), also found those in deprived areas were having strokes younger, as well experiencing more co-existing health conditions. According to Health and Care Scotland, data from almost 50,000 patients recorded in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit was analysed, focusing on various post-stroke outcomes including death from any cause within a year and prescriptions given to offset potential future strokes. READ MORE: Scottish Government invests £85m to expand Hospital at Home care service The study found that stroke patients from deprived areas, especially those with conditions like atrial fibrillation, were less likely to receive guideline-recommended treatment and more likely to be prescribed less effective medication. Researchers say the findings highlight the need to rethink the national approach to stroke prevention and care, with tailored strategies for more deprived communities to address disparities. Lead researcher, Dr Kadie-Ann Sterling, said: 'Understanding the differences in stroke presentation and outcomes between different neighbourhoods should influence public health education, decisions around screening for cardiovascular risk factors and should also be a factor when considering more focussed longer-term follow-up in the most vulnerable patients.' It follows the Scottish Government's launch of a new GP scheme aiming to cut deaths from heart disease and stroke by 20% over 20 years, with a focus on deprived areas where patients are often underrepresented in care. Researchers noted that stroke survivors in affluent areas tend to have better general health and called for greater awareness of stroke risk factors to help close this gap, adding that mortality differences persist even after accounting for stroke severity, access to care, and other health conditions. READ MORE: LIVE: ScotRail trains cancelled as cows on the line cause disruption CHSS have called for urgent action from the Government, with chief executive Jane-Claire Judson saying: 'The worrying trend that people living in more deprived areas are more likely to die within a year of a stroke and less likely to receive the right treatment or consistent care is both alarming and unjust. The postcode lottery for treatment and care must end. 'At CHSS, we're already working in communities to deliver prevention, support recovery, and enable people to self-manage their condition. But we can't do it alone. 'We're calling on the Scottish government and NHS to act now. We need a proactive approach to transforming healthcare services, and CHSS stands ready to help drive forward a fairer and more effective stroke care system for everyone in Scotland.' The Scottish Government was contacted for comment.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Study on NovaVision's NeuroEyeCoach Shows Significant Benefits for Patients in Home or Clinic Setting
BOCA RATON, FL - July 8, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - Vycor Medical, Inc. ("Vycor" or the "Company") (OTCQB:VYCO), today announced that the publication of a new peer reviewed clinical paper on its NovaVision division's NeuroEyeCoach training program. This important study provides further clinical data supporting its NeuroEyeCoach as a standard of care in saccadic training, resulting in significant improvement in visual search performance and a reduction in visual disability, and in particular its relevance to the growing global trend towards at-home digital health. The Company operates through two business units: Vycor Medical, which produces the ViewSite(TM) Brain Access System (VBAS) for neurosurgery; and NovaVision(R), a business in development which offers therapy programs to help patients recover from visual disorders after stroke or brain injury. NeuroEyeCoach was validated in a 296 patient peer-reviewed clinical study published in Cortex, whichdemonstrated significant improvements in visual study remains the largest published eye movement training study, with clinical results evidencing strongefficacy of NeuroEyeCoach, with 87% improvements in search time and 80% of patientsmaking fewer errors. The study was led by University of Aberdeen, UK, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, USA. This new study, which follows on from the Cortex study, has been published by Springer May 2025 Experimental Brain Research. This study was done as a collaboration between the Neurorehabilitation unit of the Neuromotor and Cognitive Rehabilitation Research Centre, University of Verona, Italy, and NovaVision. Ethical approval was granted by the Psychology Ethics Committee, University of Aberdeen, UK. The study compared two patient groups who used NeuroEyeCoach; 95 consecutive patients who accessed the therapy at home and 31 consecutive patients who attended the clinic in Verona. NeuroEyeCoach was designed and developed to be able to provide eye movement training for patients in both a clinic setting and in a home setting. Vision rehabilitation provisions vary across Europe and even in various states in the US, ranging from specialist care in clinical settings to home-based training or advice. There has been a significant drive to access digital technologies in home settings in parts of Europe and remotely accessed therapies are promoted in the US. NeuroEyeCoach was designed to provide low-cost delivery to allow wide access. The purpose of the study was to assess if there are meaningful differences in the benefit to and improvement in patients in a clinic setting compared to a home setting. Study Conclusions The study concluded that the NeuroEyeCoach "compensatory eye movement training is an effective tool for rehabilitation of vision loss when used in clinical settings or accessed remotely from home". NeuroEyeCoach led to improvements for home-based and clinic-based patients in both objective measures of visual function such as reduced visual search times, lower search errors, and faster completion of a cancellation task as well as reduced subjective reports of disability. No significant differences were identified between the effect of training on activities of daily living between the home-based and clinic-based groups. About Vycor Medical, Inc. With corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, FL, Vycor Medical, Inc. ("Vycor") is a publicly traded company (OTCQB: VYCO) dedicated to providing the medical community with innovative and superior surgical and therapeutic solutions and has a growing portfolio of FDA cleared or registered medical solutions that are changing and improving lives every day. The Company operates two business units: Vycor Medical and NovaVision, both of which adopt a minimally or non-invasive approach. Vycor Medical's FDA-cleared ViewSite(TM) Brain Access System (VBAS) a minimally invasive neurosurgical device designed to improve access to brain lesions while reducing tissue damage and enhancing patient outcomes. The VBAS system has been approved and used in over 300 hospitals in the US and in numerous countries internationally. VBAS is protected by 46 issued and 11 pending patents and has been validated through over 40 peer-reviewed studies. These studies demonstrate that use of VBAS results in: less brain tissue damage; less invasive procedure; improved access and better visibility; and reduced operating and recovery time. For an overview of Vycor Medical's VBAS see VBAS Video. NovaVision provides a suite of clinically supported vision rehabilitation therapies aimed at helping patients recover from visual impairments caused by stroke or other brain injury. The Visual Restoration Therapy (VRT) is the only commercialized FDA-cleared therapy for vision rehabilitation following neurological brain damage, making it a unique and important option for patients seeking to regain lost visual capabilities. The complementary NeuroEyeCoach program, clinically supported by a 296-patient study (the largest to date in the neuro visual space), enables dramatic improvements in patients' ability to detect objects in the visual field by training them to make better eye movements with improvement in over 80% of patients. The NovaVision therapies, while showing a positive impact on these patients' lives, still require significant development to allow them to successfully address their market potential. For an overview of NovaVision see NovaVision Video. For the latest information on the company, including media and other coverage, and to learn more, please go online at or in this document constitute forward-looking statements or statements which may be deemed or construed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "forecast", "anticipate", "estimate", "project", "intend", "expect", "should", "believe", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause Vycor Medical's actual results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements to differ from the future results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and other factors are more fully discussed in Vycor Medical's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to Vycor Medical herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by the above-mentioned cautionary statement. Vycor Medical disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this estimate, except as may be required by law. Investor Relations Contacts: B2i Digital:David ShapiroChief Executive OfficerB2i Digital, Officedavid@ Vycor Medical, Inc. Contacts:951 Broken Sound Parkway, Suite 320Boca Raton, FL. 33487(561) 558-2020info@ LinkedIn: NovaVision, Inc:(561) 558-2000clientservices@ LinkedIn: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Herald Scotland
08-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Scots stroke survival linked to deprivation, research shows
Funded by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, a team of researchers investigated morbidity outcomes in areas of low and high deprivation, and found that those living in poorer neighborhoods were more likely to die within a year of having a stroke. The scientists also revealed that access to treatment can vary widely depending on where one lives. For example, those who suffer from atrial fibrillation, or heart rhythm problems, and live in affluent areas are more likely to be prescribed blood thinners to guard against stroke, while those who live in areas of high deprivation are often given aspirin. Treatment options may differ depending on the area's Kadie-Ann Sterling, Research Assistant at the University of Aberdeen, who led the study, said: 'Our findings suggest that there were significant differences in stroke presentation, secondary prevention prescribing and mortality outcomes across different areas in Scotland and this was dependent upon the deprivation within each area. 'Understanding the differences in stroke presentation and outcomes between different neighbourhoods should influence public health education, decisions around screening for cardiovascular risk factors and should also be a factor when considering more focussed longer-term follow-up in the most vulnerable patients.' An estimated 3,806 people in Scotland died from cerebrovascular disease, which includes stroke, in 2023. The death rate for cerebrovascular patients was 62% higher in the most deprived areas, when compared to the least deprived neighbourhoods. Read more: Ten per cent of Scottish women 'sexually assaulted at work' Ambulance waiting times for critically ill patients on rise in all 32 councils Calls for public inquiry into Alex Salmond 'conspiracy' after Herald interview Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: 'The study confirms what we see every day in communities across Scotland - stroke care is not equal, and that's unacceptable. 'The worrying trend that people living in more deprived areas are more likely to die within a year of a stroke and less likely to receive the right treatment or consistent care is both alarming and unjust. 'These research outcomes amplify the need for a substantial rethink of how health services are delivered in Scotland. The postcode lottery for treatment and care must end. 'We're calling on the Scottish Government and NHS to act now. We need a proactive approach to transforming healthcare services, and CHSS stands ready to help drive forward a fairer and more effective stroke care system for everyone in Scotland.'
