Hand Research Group

We are a collaborative group of academic researchers, therapists, physicians, and surgeons. We carry out a wide range of studies in patients, including observational studies of disease, basic science studies on patient-donated tissue and clinical trials of new treatments. Our ultimate aim is to improve the care of patients with hand and wrist problems.

The hands are a pivotal part of the body. They are involved in almost every aspect of daily life, and in our social interactions. Loss of hand function can cause severe physical and psychological disability.

Hand and wrist problems affect people of all ages. Children can be born with malformations; older people can be affected by conditions such as arthritis or Dupuytren’s disease; people of all ages are affected by trauma to the hand, and by nerve compression syndromes. These disorders can lead to pain, deformity, and loss of function.

We strongly believe that close collaboration between physicians, surgeons, therapists, and scientists will lead to better understanding of these conditions, better outcomes for our patients, and new and improved treatments in the future. We work together on translational research projects with patient quality of life at the core. For some of our studies we also collaborate with colleagues in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and the Nuffield Department of Surgery.

ongoing STUDIES

UKRI Functional Genomics Musculoskeletal Cluster

RAMBOH-1: Retinoic Acid Metabolism Blocking Agents to Treat Osteoarthritis of the Hand

PROSpeCT: Pre-operative Electrical Stimulation in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

EMCAT: Ecological Momentary Computerised Adaptive Testing

MONET: Mechanisms of Neurodynamic Treatments, with the Schmid Group, NDCN

Our scientific team

The Hand Research Group is a collaboration between numerous scientific groups across various different disciplines. Delivery of our work is also supported by NDORMS' experienced team of research nurses.

Furniss Group - Genetics and Epidemiology of Common Hand Conditions

Vincent Group - Molecular Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis

Mouthy Group - Soft Tissue Engineering

Wiberg Group - Peripheral Nerve Research Lab

our CLINICAL COLLABORATORS

Our team of clinicians shape the research we do and bring it into the hands of patients.

Prof Dominic Furniss, NDORMS - UKRI Functional Genomics Musculoskeletal Cluster Lead, Professor of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Mr Ian McNab, NOC - Consultant Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon

Mr Chris Little, NOC - Consultant Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon

Mr Paul Critchley, NOC - Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Mr Henk Giele, NOC - Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Ms Lucy Cogswell, NOC - Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Mr Nick Riley, NOC - Consultant Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon

Ms Michelle Spiteri, JR - Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Ben Dean, NOC - Consultant Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon

Ms Jennifer Lane, NDORMS - Clinical Lecturer in Orthopaedic Surgery

Mrs Sarah Tucker, NOC - Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Mr Michael Lamyman, OUH - Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Mr Patrick Garfjeld Roberts, NOC - Consultant Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon

Ms Sara Atkins, OUH - Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Mrs Lizelle Sander-Danby, NOC - Team Lead, Oxford Hand Therapy Unit

Mrs Linda Davies, NOC - Senior Hand Therapist

Our team

Dominic Furniss

Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Jagdeep Nanchahal

Professor of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Jennifer Lane

Honorary Clinical Research Fellow, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
Akira Wiberg

Senior Clinical Research Fellow in Plastic Surgery
Tonia Vincent

Professor of Musculoskeletal Biology & Honorary rheumatologist
Justin Wormald

Deputy Director of the Surgical Interventional Trials Unit (SITU), NDORMS and NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Plastic Surgery
Matthew Gardiner

Honorary Departmental Senior Research Fellow in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Conrad Harrison

NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Max Stewart

MRC Clinical Research Training Fellow
Alexandra Wood

MB DPhil Student in Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease
Grzegorz Koc

DPhil student
Abigail Shaw

Clinical Research Fellow in Plastic Surgery
Kim Borsky

Clinical Research Fellow in Plastic Surgery
Rachel Kuo

NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow in Plastic Surgery
Janaki Velmurugan

Postdoctoral Researcher in Bioinformatics
Pierre-Alexis Mouthuy

Associate Professor
Gail Lang

Research Manager
Shristi Lama

Research Nurse
Alice Harin

Research nurse
Josephine Daley

Research Nurse
Jane Roberts

Research Nurse