Jennifer will be studying the “Epidemiology of common hand conditions”. The project will study trends in disease variation and the surgical management of the condition at a national level using routinely collected UK GP and hospital data. Two large research studies, UK Biobank and the Million Women Study, will also be used to study over 1.8 million people to consider risk factors in developing severe osteoarthritis.
Commenting on the news of her successful application Jennifer stated “I'm thrilled to be working with ARUK for this project that I hope will help us better understand why people develop hand conditions, and aid us in determining the best surgical treatments for the future."
Jennifer will be sponsored by Prof Dominic Furniss, Prof Daniel Prieto-Alhambra and Prof Jane Green at the Million Women Study based in the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the Nuffield Department of Population Health.
Dr Malvika Gulati will be looking at ”The role of gender, menopause and sex hormones in painful hand osteoarthritis (OA)”. Hand OA is common, affecting 2 million people in the UK and can cause pain, swelling and deformity and has greater occurrences in women. The project aims to improve understanding of the role of gender and hormonal influences in the pathogenesis of painful hand OA, in order to predict individual outcomes and identify new treatment strategies.
On acceptance of the award Malvika stated "I am grateful for the opportunity that Arthritis Research UK has given us. Hand osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the hand, yet treatment options are limited. This funding will allow us to better understand the condition and test our hypothesis that hormones may play a role in its development.”
Malvika will be sponsored by Prof Fiona Watt, Prof Tonia Vincent and Prof Nigel Arden.
