Exciting new research focused on early benefit for Crohn’s Disease

Supporting young people to follow their treatment plans

Dr Gemma Heath 

Aston University

Young people with Crohn’s or Colitis can sometimes find it difficult to follow the treatment plans recommended by their IBD teams. This can mean that their condition is not well-controlled. Dr Heath and her team will be developing a support programme into a mobile-friendly, interactive website. Young people with Crohn’s will test the new programme for three months to understand if it meets their needs. It will help them to develop the programme so it is ready for future testing in a randomised controlled trial.

Developing a test to see scarring in the bowel

Dr Rahul Kalla

University of Edinburgh

There is currently no way to measure scarring in the bowel of people with Crohn’s Disease – or to predict those who will go on to develop a stricture and need surgery. Dr Kalla will develop a new non-invasive, dye-based test to see scarring and track ongoing damage in the bowel.

A new platform for perianal Crohn’s fistula research

Prof Shaji Sebastian

Hull University Teaching Hospitals

Perianal fistulas are a common complication of Crohn’s Disease.  A fistula is when a tunnel develops that connects an organ to another part of your body.  It is hard to manage and treat perianal fistulas. Even with treatment and surgery, some fistulas do not heal.  Professor Sebastian and his colleagues are developing a research platform for different hospitals and clinics in the UK. They can then share their learning and knowledge around perianal fistulas and identify best practice to improve outcomes for patients.