The MRC, in partnership with the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), has provided a total of £16 million of funding to establish a national network of five hubs for trials methodology research. Collectively the UK network of Hubs in Trials Methodology research (HTMR) will facilitate and accelerate the translational process through the development of new and improved approaches for the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials, particularly in methodologically challenging areas.
The MRC North West Hub for Trials Methodology Research (NWHTMR) is a collaboration between the Universities of Liverpool, Lancaster, Bangor and Manchester, involving experts in medical statistics, clinical trial methodology, pharmacoeconomics, sociology and clinical psychology. The Hub Director is Paula Williamson, Head of the Department of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials Research Centre at the University of Liverpool. The Hub will focus on three methodological research themes (early phase trial design and analysis, later phase trial design and analysis and patients’ perspectives ), developing and translating methods for application across key clinical areas (Drug Safety, Medicines for Children, Epilepsy, Cancer).