Vicki Barber
BSc (Hons) ; FIoB; PhD
OCTRU Operations Director and Interim Joint CTU Director
As a scientist by training I have had an interest in healthcare research since 1998 and trials since 2001. I undertook an undergraduate BSc Hons degree in Applied and Human Biology, and then a PhD in Pharmacology. I was then selected to be part of the first cohort of fellows in the Midlands MEDICI programme that taught entrepreneurship, commercialisation and business administration. I then combined all of these experiences to manage the first clinical trial of a one of the University of Oxford Spin Out Companies. This then led onto me being part of many trial teams, grant applications and feasibility studies.
To date, I have trial managed CTIMP (drug) trials and complex intervention trials in general medicine, intensive care, paediatrics and most recently in obstetrics. I directed the INFANT study, a multi-centre randomised controlled trial which recruited over 46,000 pregnant women in the second most expensive study (at the time) ever funded by the NIHR HTA programme.
I have been active in trial management for over a decade and have in the past contributed to the UK Trial Managers Network Trial Management Guide.
As the Operations Director of the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU) I oversee all collaborations and take an active role in senior project management of many of our trials.
I have research interests in trial efficiencies and the role that technology has in trials.
In March 2025, I was appointed as Joint Interim CTU Director
Recent publications
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A 3-week pause versus continued Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor use during COVID-19 vaccination in individuals with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (IMPROVE trial): a randomised, open-label, superiority trial.
Journal article
Cook JA. et al, (2025), Lancet haematol, 12, e294 - e303
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Temporary 2-week suspension of methotrexate treatment to enhance COVID-19 vaccine response in people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: the VROOM RCT
Journal article
Abhishek A. et al, (2025), Efficacy and mechanism evaluation, 1 - 42
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Local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy versus transrectal prostate biopsy in prostate cancer detection (TRANSLATE): a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial.
Journal article
Bryant RJ. et al, (2025), Lancet oncol