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The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has received more than €270,000 from the European Commission as a part of a multi-nation research project to promote citizen science.

Oxford’s involvement will entail the BRC and the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM) carrying our research into the role of steroid hormones in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity and type 2 diabetes.

This would be a first study undertaken with a citizen science approach in the domain of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism in general and NAFLD in particular.

The Oxford researchers include OCDEM researcher and BRC Theme Lead for Diabetes and Metabolism, Prof Jeremy Tomlinson, as well as the BRC’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Vasiliki Kiparoglou and BRC researcher Dr Syed Ghulam Sarwar Shah.

Prof Tomlinson explained: “We are aiming to use this citizen science approach to develop a better understanding of the diurnal variation, along with circadian rhythm, of hepatic lipid metabolism in overweight patients in different types of conditions, before and after a lifestyle intervention a weight loss programme.

“For the first time, we will be able to integrate data collected in this area with other qualitative information related to daily life, wellbeing and lifestyles of the participants, allowing us to compare biomedical measurements with the patients’ daily experiences.”

The information gathered in this project will be incorporated into a wider research programme on “Metabolism and Steroid Hormone Biology” and will contribute to the development of new screening tools and novel interventions with the ultimate aim of improving patient care.

Read more about the project on the BRC website