Translational Health Sciences

Oxford University
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  • EDUCATION

Turning innovations into practical solutions for healthcare needs is an imperative – and one that can only become more urgent as demands on health systems increase. Our key focus in this series is the ‘downstream’ phases of translational health sciences – the human, organisational and societal issues that impact on the adoption, dissemination and mainstreaming of research discoveries. Talks are taken from the Oxford Translational Health Sciences Programme and delivered by leaders in the field of Translational Health Care.

Episodes

  1. DEC 11 · VIDEO

    Storytelling, a powerful tool, but does it help lead to behaviour change?

    Dr Becky McCall examines the potential of digital storytelling as part of the behavioural science framework. Within public health, storytelling - including digital storytelling (DST) - is frequently examined through a scientific lens, whether as a research method or an interventional tool for influencing behaviour change. However, DST is inherently an arts-based practice, grounded in the creation of authentic, 3–5-minute videos that convey personal experiences of illness. Its strength lies in the interpretation and emotional meaning generated through the storytelling process, both for the storyteller creators and for audiences. In my recent work, I examine the potential of DST to relate experiences of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic adversity to the lay public. Using qualitative data from a public screening and discussion of five digital stories, we explore the extent to which this arts-based, largely emotion-driven method can be situated within a behavioural science framework, and whether it may form part of a causal pathway towards reducing unnecessary antibiotic use among the general public. About the speaker: Dr Becky McCall has been a medical journalist working for various global news outlets for 20 years. Most of her work has been in the written format, but she has also worked in radio and television. She has watched with interest as the patient voice has shifted from the margins to adopting an increasingly central role in medical discourse. Her recent PhD work challenged assumptions around public perceptions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the creation of digital stories as an interventional tool to shape mindsets around the use of antibiotics. She has just been awarded a PhD from University College London. Some of her stories can be found at StoryBug. Please note, the sound of the story Dr McCall showed in this talk was not recorded but you can find this story and others at her website https://storybug.org.uk/.

    53 min

  2. MAY 13 · VIDEO

    Politics and Global Health: The Need for a New, Resilient Architecture

    Mitchell Warren will provide updates on AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition's (AVAC) court challenge against the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and offer his insights into what a more resilient global health funding infrastructure could look like Recent, dramatic shifts in global health funding include cuts to US and UK foreign aid. This has had a cascade of devasting consequences on treatment and prevention programmes, including for HIV and TB across the globe. Mitchell Warren will provide updates on AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition's (AVAC) court challenge against the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and offer his insights into what a more resilient global health funding infrastructure could look like. About the speaker: Mitchell Warren has spent nearly 30 years devoted to expanding access to HIV prevention, working with a wide range of activists and advocates, researchers and scientists, product developers and deliverers, policy makers, community advisory boards and the media from across the globe. This has often been as a translator, helping these often-diverse groups with diverse points of view understand each other better. Since 2004, Mitchell has been the Executive Director of AVAC, an international non-governmental organization that works to accelerate the ethical development and global delivery of HIV prevention options as part of a comprehensive and integrated pathway to global health equity. Through communications, education, policy analysis, advocacy and a network of global collaborations, it mobilizes and supports efforts to deliver proven HIV prevention tools for immediate impact, demonstrates and rolls out new HIV prevention options, and develops long-term solutions needed to end the epidemic.

    42 min

  3. MAR 31 · VIDEO

    System Entrepreneurship: Lessons from Rwanda

    Educating future leaders in Africa and driving transformational impact on African economies.

    1h 22m

  4. 12/19/2024 · VIDEO

    Reimagining Humanity in the Age of Technology

    This lecture will provide a brief journey into the future, providing projections for how our lives will change as technological innovations continue to accelerat In an era marked by unprecedented technological advancements, our world is undergoing a profound transformation that challenges the very essence of what it means to be human. From the rise of artificial intelligence, to the widespread use of robotics, to advancements in biotech, to the omnipresence of smartphones, the impact of technology on our lives is undeniable. Technology has revolutionized how we communicate, work, learn, receive medical care, and perceive reality. As we stand at the intersection of innovation and human existence, it is imperative to explore the multifaceted ways in which technology is reshaping our society, raising profound questions about ethics, privacy, and the essence of humanity. This lecture will provide a brief journey into the future, providing projections for how our lives will change as technological innovations continue to accelerate. We will examine how we should think about the future as we strive to create a better world. And we will explore how technology is impacting all areas of human life and how we can leverage behavioural science and human-centred design to ensure that our growing reliance on technology does not eclipse the fundamental importance of human connections. Dr. Scott Clarke is Senior Managing Partner and Global Practice Leader for Digital Transformation & Innovation at Infosys Consulting. As a behavioural economist, Scott has dedicated his career to helping organizations grow and innovate by understanding the ramifications of sociological and technology change and how this affects relationships with their customers and employees. His current work investigates how digital technologies are changing the world, and what types of organizations are best able to lead this change rather than being disrupted by it. Over a 30-year consulting career, Dr Clarke is proud to have partnered with a variety of leading organizations on their digital transformation journeys including Unilever, Nestle, Philips, Burberry, Merck, T-Mobile, Gilead Sciences, Chevron, Johnson & Johnson, Ford Motor Company, and Sony Electronics. Prior to joining Infosys Consulting, he led global management consulting practices for several other professional services organizations including PwC, IBM, Capgemini and Cognizant. Dr Clarke holds a DPhil in Behavioural Economics from the University of Strathclyde and a BA (Hons) in Economics and Political Science from Queen’s University (Canada). He is formerly Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Economics at Queen Mary University of London. His academic work focuses on the relationship between humanity and technology, and how technology advancements including AI, robotics and biotech expand humanity’s horizons and redefine what it means to be human.

    1h 8m

  5. 10/25/2024 · VIDEO

    Why digital health and care interventions fail and what we can do about it

    Unfortunately, many digital health interventions fail to realize their potential. Although there is no recipe for success, there are ways in which developers, implementers, and adopters can help to maximize successful implementation, adoption, and scaling Unfortunately, many digital health interventions fail to realize their potential. Although there is no recipe for success, there are ways in which developers, implementers, and adopters can help to maximize successful implementation, adoption, and scaling.

    48 min

  6. 06/26/2024 · VIDEO

    The changing dynamics of mixed health systems in low and middle-income countries (LMIC)

    Professor Kabir Sheikh discusses how social trends shape health systems in low- and middle-income countries, focusing on the complex mix of public-private, traditional-modern, and digital-nondigital axes. Health systems are social systems, and are shaped by broader trends such as urbanisation, commercialisation, the information revolution, and the post-pandemic social reordering. Against that backdrop, the configuration of health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is often deeply heterogeneous or “mixed” across different intersecting axes, for instance: public-private, professional-lay, traditional-modern, and digital-nondigital. These dynamic and contested intersections influence health system performance and equity, and also create unique policy challenges and opportunities. Professor Sheikh will outline key inferences from his body of research on the governance of mixed health systems in LMICs, and reflect on the changing character of health systems, and implications for the future of the field of health policy and systems research (HPSR). Professor Kabir Sheikh is a field leader in health policy and systems research (HPSR) with over 20 years’ experience of research in diverse settings across Asia and Africa. His interests lie in the domain of equity-oriented, contextually relevant health policy and systems research (HPSR) that generate insights and solutions for health systems problems, using social science approaches (policy and implementation analysis).

    48 min

  7. 04/29/2024 · VIDEO

    Healthcare Within a Humanitarian Crisis: Experiences from Gaza

    Mr Khaled Dawas shares his recent experiences of working in Gaza as a surgeon providing emergency care. In this episode, Mr Khaled Dawas reflects on the targeting of health facilities and health workers during the conflict, the implications for medical education in Palestine and the role of global health students and practitioners world-wide. The main lecture is delivered by Mr Dawas and will also feature perspectives of other health workers who have experiences of working in Gaza, including Dr Brenda Kelly (women's health doctor) and Dr Jane Crawley (paediatric doctor). Mr Khaled Dawas is a consultant surgeon and associate professor at University College London Hospitals. He chairs the board of the medical education charity, Al Quds Foundation for Medical Schools in Palestine. He has been to Gaza twice with emergency medical teams since December 2023. Dr Brenda Kelly is a consultant obstetrician who has also been to Gaza and is part of the Gaza Medical Teaching Group. Dr Jane Crawley is a paediatrician who has worked in global child health for the past 30 years. As a member of the Oxford Gaza Group of clinicians, she has visited Gaza several times over the past 8 years in order to teach medical students and young doctors. This talk is part of the Translational Science and Global Health course on the Translational Health Sciences programme.

    1h 5m

  8. 04/03/2024 · VIDEO

    Politics, Innovation and Change: The Path to Net Zero

    Professor Nick Watts explores net zero in the context of health care. Working at the intersection of politics, policy, industry, healthcare and academia, Professor Nick Watts will reflect on his time as Chief Sustainability Officer of the NHS, on the Lancet Commission on Sustainable Health Care, and his current role at the National University of Singapore. He will explore what net zero means in the context of health care, the influence of national (and transnational) politics, industry, and other stakeholder interests on advancing towards net zero across different geographical settings and unpack what works and what doesn't. He will critically reflect on the role of innovation in reaching net zero and on what is needed to bring about change and to translate solutions into practice within the boundaries of what is politically, financially and technologically possible. Professor Watts is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Medicine, leading NUS's efforts to accelerate the transition to net zero and resilient healthcare systems, across the world. Prior to NUS, he worked as the Chief Sustainability Officer for the NHS in the UK, where he spearheaded their efforts to efforts to deliver low-carbon healthcare, leading the Greener NHS team with a budget of almost S$1 billion. He is a medical doctor, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians' Faculty of Public Health, and has worked as the Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown, and as the founder of the Global Climate and Health Alliance and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change. This talk is part of the Sustainable Health Care course on the Translational Health Sciences programme.

    34 min

  9. 12/12/2023 · VIDEO

    Social enterprisers and their role in addressing future challenges

    Adopting a critical perspective, Dr Orsolya Ihasz outlines what makes social enterprisers valuable, and how could they contribute to the creation of important services and products to marginalised and disenfranchised communities. The urgency of global concerns such as health inequality, poverty and education demand rapid intervention. The role of social enterprises are key to addressing today's social challenges and promoting impact-driven innovation designed to create long term societal impact. Dr Orsolya Ihasz is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Cranfield School of Management and a Fellow at the Foundation for Science and Technology. Her research interest focuses on (responsible) innovation management and social impact measurement especially in public health. She acts as programme lead to Ideas to Innovation (i2i) aimed at the researchers and early-career researcher community across discipline to support entrepreneurial ventures geared towards finding solutions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She is also an external advisor to the WHO on the scaling digitally enabled health interventions for tackling NCDs globally.

    45 min

  10. 12/12/2023 · VIDEO

    Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Resource-Constrained Settings: A Case Study of Ghana

    Dr Brian Adu Asare discusses Health Technology Assessment (HTA) using Ghana as a case study. HTA is pivotal in informing healthcare decision-making. It is a tool which helps in ensuring effective resource allocation and optimizing health outcomes. In resource-constrained settings, such as Ghana, the institutionalization, conduct, and uptake of HTA seeks to contribute to maximizing outcomes with limited resources. In Ghana, HTA's institutionalization has been marked by the establishment governance structures, strategies, and processes as well as the integration of HTA principles into health policies. However, the process has faced challenges, including limited expertise and financial constraints. Capacity-building initiatives, such as training programs and international collaborations, have been instrumental in addressing these barriers. Dr Brian Adu Asare is the Head of Health Technology Assessments (HTA) in Ghana and a Senior Technical Officer at the Pharmacy Directorate of the Ghana Ministry of Health. He also heads the National Drug Information, Research and Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Ministry of Health under the Pharmacy Directorate. He joined mainstream health policy in 2008 at the Ghana National Drugs Programme, and currently advices on technical issues in relation to pharmaceuticals in the Ghana Ministry of Health. He has led and contributed to several technical initiatives in: * Institutionalization and operationalization of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Ghana * Evidence-based medicine (EBM) * Pricing systems, Health systems strengthening, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and health information systems * Formulation and review of National Medicines Policy * Development and review of Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) and Essential Medicines Lists (EML) including COVID-19 treatment guidelines for Ghana. He currently serves on the: * National Medicines Selection Committee * National Medicines Price Committee * National AMR policy platform * National Medicines Policy Technical Working Group, among others.

    42 min

  11. 03/07/2022 · VIDEO

    Knowledge for bright ideas – how research can support innovative health systems

    Guest lecturer Dr Nick Fahy is a research group director for health and wellbeing at RAND Europe, where he oversees research in such areas as health systems and healthcare innovation, and the behavioural and social determinants of health and wellbeing. Innovation is the central challenge facing health systems. The constant expansion in our ability to improve health has brought us benefits of length and quality of life that would have been unimaginable a hundred years ago. But this also creates challenges for our health systems. This lecture will explore three challenges in particular. First, what do we get? How well do our systems for generating innovations meet the health needs that we want to see addressed? Second, how do we make the best use of the innovations that we have; through understanding the value they bring, and making best use of them in practice? And third, how do we pay for this challenge - and how long will we keep being able to? Our guest lecturer is Dr Nick Fahy, research group director for health and wellbeing at RAND Europe, where he oversees research in such areas as health systems and healthcare innovation, workplace wellbeing, and the behavioural and social determinants of health and wellbeing. Nick Fahy joined RAND Europe from the University of Oxford, where he was a senior researcher in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and a research fellow at Green Templeton College. As a researcher and consultant in health policy and systems, he looked at how health systems work; lessons learned by comparing health systems across countries; and how to bring about constructive change in health systems. Alongside his Oxford role, Nick was also an expert advisor on innovation and implementation for the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, working with policymakers across Europe to support evidence-informed policy-making. This built on wide-ranging experience in international health policy, including over a decade in the European Commission, most recently as head of the health information unit. Nick Fahy has a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford in evidence-based healthcare, specifically examining psychological theory and its role in the model of diffusion of innovations in healthcare. He is also a Chartered Psychologist and continues to contribute to research and teaching at the University of Oxford and more widely.

    42 min
  • 11 Episodes

About

Turning innovations into practical solutions for healthcare needs is an imperative – and one that can only become more urgent as demands on health systems increase. Our key focus in this series is the ‘downstream’ phases of translational health sciences – the human, organisational and societal issues that impact on the adoption, dissemination and mainstreaming of research discoveries. Talks are taken from the Oxford Translational Health Sciences Programme and delivered by leaders in the field of Translational Health Care.

Information