Research impact

The CF10 project, led by Professor Herbie Newell C.B.E and a team of researchers at the University, addresses a critical unmet need in the treatment of cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 200,000 births. Current treatments (Cystagon and Procysbi) are effective but suffer from poor patient compliance due to severe side effects, unpleasant taste and smell, and demanding dosing schedules. The project has demonstrable impact on patient and public health, healthcare systems, industry, and policy.

The EQUITA study (EQUITy in Black Adult Health), led by Dr Floor Christie-de Jong, is a £618,000 NIHR-funded project aimed at increasing cancer screening uptake among Black African and Caribbean communities. The project has demonstrable impact both on public health, policy, and communities.

The Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute's work, led by Professor Yitka Graham, is rooted in co-designed research with external partners including NHS organisations, local authorities, and voluntary sector bodies. Projects include:

• Obesity and bariatric surgical care
• Military and veteran health and wellbeing
• Out-of-hospital care
• Women's health

Such projects produce outputs that change service delivery, improve population health, and influence policy and practice.

Our Inclusive Work workstream tackles job insecurity and low skills in areas like the north-east. Through research and practice, we improve access to stable, well-paid work. The Sunderland Skills and Inclusion Programme is a key example, where we evaluate and refine training delivery in real time, generating insights that support long-term impact.

Our long-standing involvement in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) has helped local businesses innovate and grow. From immersive learning technologies, to lifesaving equipment, our partnerships have generated millions in economic value and transformed regional industries.

Dr Sam Danso was selected as the UK’s only Fellow in the inaugural William H. Gates Sr. Fellowship, supporting global research into Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) by using Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to identify early risk factors and develop predictive models for ADRD. The project has demonstrable impact public health, early diagnosis, and data-driven healthcare innovation.

Speedings Ltd, one of Wearside’s oldest manufacturers, partnered with the University through a Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) to transform its operations, workforce culture, and strategic growth. The project is led by Dr Derek Watson, Associate Professor in Cultural Management, with support from Dr Derek Dixon, Head of School for Computer Science and Engineering. The project has demonstrable impact on organisational change, economic growth, and knowledge exchange.

Dr Sarah Martin Denham leads externally funded research for a range of organisations on school exclusion, childhood adversities, and service evaluations in children’s social care. Her projects include:

See Me

‘See Me’ is a pilot creative arts voice project with over 200 children and young people (CYP), 5-16 years, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) excluded from school in north-east England. The purpose of the project is to recognise and champion the abilities of those excluded from school.

The first part of the project involved 10 CYP coming to the University to work with Sarah and performing arts company Cap a Pie to express through the arts how they see the world and how the world sees them.

The second part of the project involved over 200 CYP across eight alternative provision and pupil referral units across north-east England. Artists Frank Styles, Jo Howell, Hannah Gawne, and Angela Sandwith provided inspiring video workshops to show their art medium and what brings them joy. Sarah then delivered packs of resources to the schools to support the CYP in creating their own artworks with the theme of ‘joy’.

Minute of Truth

Three days were spent with 20 Ukrainian children across two secondary schools in north-east England. One was a large urban comprehensive school and the other was a smaller rural school. Purposive sampling was used to ensure the participants had the experience of living in and leaving a warzone.

Throughout the project, a Ukrainian translator was present. The children at both schools were already familiar with the translator as they taught there. Over three days, the children investigated the following research questions through participatory research and the arts (painting, sketching, collage) and writing (poetry and narrative).

Pull Up a Chair School Exclusion

Pull Up a Chair engaged 130 children aged 5-16 years in a creative arts project with four local artists. Of these, 68 shared their views on school exclusion. A further 28 children aged 5-16 years, previously excluded from school, took part in a creative arts project.

In 2018, Together for Children commissioned Sarah to ‘investigate the factors that impact upon social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people from 3-16 years, which may lead to exclusion from school’. 174 participants took part in the research, including 55 children previously excluded from school, 41 of their caregivers, and 78 education and health professionals.

Pull Up a Chair Post-16

Pull Up a Chair is an approach to phenomenological qualitative research led by Dr Sarah Martin-Denham.

Ten young people from a Sunderland Post 16 provision took part in Pull Up a Chair Post-16. Over five days, Ruth, a Theatre Maker, and Laura Degnan, a filmmaker, worked with Sarah and the young people to capture their views on the factors that impacted their attainment at secondary school. The project was funded by the SHINE Trust.