Exploiting the potential offered by the increasing computerisation of health records for population-based research

The increasing computerisation of health records offers tremendous opportunities for research - both for observational research and for intervention trials embedded in clinical care. Professor Smeeth is focusing on exploiting this potential to assess drug effects and to investigate disease aetiology. A major focus of his research is cardiovascular disease, with one area of particular interest being the causal role of infections and inflammation. While there is strong evidence that inflammation plays an important role in cardiovascular disease, translating this knowledge into improved healthcare has proved challenging. The major factor hindering this translation is a lack of knowledge drawn from humans in real-world clinical settings, which is a challenge Professor Smeeth aims to overcome.