Prof Prof John S. Young

Professor of Translational Healthcare

National Horizons CentreUnited Kingdom

Research focus

My research aims to improve the lives of patients living with chronic conditions; and, by extension, the lives of their carers and reduce the demand on overstretched healthcare providers. Our activities have three strands:

Diagnosis. Early detection of acute and chronic pathologies, and acute adverse events - which is accurate, inexpensive and accessible - to be used by healthcare providers, patients and carers, regardless of setting. Therapeutics. Elucidate targets for effective treatment, very early in disease development. Informed by biomarker-based diagnosis of early disease. Education. Change behaviours, remove barriers to patients seeking help and achieve patient-centred care. The primary focus for these efforts has been in urological pathologies, due to the high prevalence of conditions and associated impact - to patients, carers and the NHS.

SDG targets

3.4

Reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health

3.8

Achieve universal health coverage

3.B

Support research, development and universal access to affordable vaccines and medicines

3.D

Improve early warning systems for global health risks

9.1

Develop sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructures

9.5

Enhance research and upgrade industrial technologies

9.B

Support domestic technology development and industrial diversification

10.1

Reduce income inequalities

10.2

Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion

10.3

Ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination

10.4

Adopt fiscal and social policies that promote equality

Projects

Developing a diagnostic test for overactive bladder for the point-of-care setting (GP, pharmacies, care homes) and for use by patients/carers. eLearning: addressing the skills’ gap in continence care within care homes by providing an eLearning package. Related to this are other projects to address barriers to patient care: (1) Commissioned by Health Education England to produce an eLearning package, mandated for all NHS England staff, around continence care in patients with frailty; (2) long-term collaboration with a continence product manufacturer to provide patient-centred information on their websites; (3) aiming to reach individuals with limited access to computers, designed a leaflet with similar aims as previous. Currently coordinating additional dissemination. Evaluating wearable devices for the non-invasive monitoring of biomarkers. The novel approach we developed for the discovery of biomarkers for overactive bladder is being used in collaborations to discover biomarkers for other pathologies inc. Alzheimer’s and non-freezing cold injury.