The Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley (ARC OTV) will be jointly led by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Oxford. Other members of the collaboration include patient groups, charities, NHS Trusts, local authorities, and NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire, as well as the University of Reading and Oxford Brookes University.
Professor Richard Hobbs, Director of ARC OTV and Head of Department at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this funding which demonstrates not only the world-class health and care research excellence available in the area but also the openness and willingness of local partners, including patients and the public, to work together and begin making real, tangible improvements for patients, the public, and health and care services.”
Specifically, the ARC OTV will focus on research across six broad themes, each led by world-class academics in their field:
- Disease prevention through behaviour change;
- Patient self-management and the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk;
- Mental health across the life course;
- Community health and social care improvement; and
- Applied digital health
- Novel methods to aid and evaluate implementation
We are delighted to have this opportunity to develop applied health research in mental health across the life course and are looking forward to working with local and national partners to ensure we conduct research that improves the lives of people - young and old - with mental health problems. - Professor Cathy Creswell