Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) Blog

Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx) Blog

In category: SPCR Fellowships


South-West SAPC by Professor Rupert Payne

Iā€™ve always enjoyed the regional SAPC conferences. Being very much at the smaller end of the conference spectrum, they are a great way to find out whatā€™s going on in the local region, and offer an opportunity for early career researchers in particular to present work in a friendly and relaxed environment. The 2025 meeting […]


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What motivated my wanting to do research? by Dr Gianni Dongo

The answer to this question can often times seem scripted. There is usually a reference to a desire to stimulate lasting change in society, an altruistic aim to break frontiers of knowledge or a personal experience of a challenge that motivated quest for discovery. For me, I rather stumbled onto research during my primary medical […]


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The role of community pharmacies in early cancer detection with a focus on deprivation – by Dr Judit Konya

We know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed, the better the clinical outcomes are. Patients generally first present to General Practice with symptoms of undiagnosed cancer. However, in recent years there has been an expansion of clinical responsibility in other healthcare settings, and there has been a focus shift towards providing care to people closer […]


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Understanding inequalities in cancer diagnostic outcomes for people with Learning Disabilities: The CancerLearn project

Written by Dr Luke Mounce From the 1st of November last year, my first big research project began with me as Chief Investigator, and Iā€™d like to tell you all about it and my journey to get here! Itā€™s called ā€œCancerLearnā€ and aims to improve cancer diagnosis in people with learning difficulties. There are around […]


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Dead trees: living research ā€“ by Professor Willie Hamilton

They say a tree falling in a forest, but with no-one to hear it, makes no sound. Well maybe, though Iā€™ve always doubted it. Whatā€™s clear is that medical research, if it doesnā€™t change practice, makes no sound. In this spirit was a conference in London last month. I co-led a successful HTA research bid […]


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Exeter in Ā£10 million partnership to use data and AI to detect individual cancer risk – Professor Gary Abel

Doctors could soon be able to predict your individual chances of getting cancer and offer personalised detection and prevention, thanks to a new research project involving the University of Exeter. Today, Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are announcing Ā£10 […]


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APEx End of Year Report by Professor Richard Neal – Director of APEx (Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care).

Wow, it has been an amazing year, and my first full year as Director of APEx (Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care). I wanted to take this opportunity to give an overview of the year in some numbers. And there have been so many achievements over the past 12 months, that I am not going […]


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Accelerating my career ā€“ and a focus on continuity of care by Dr Nada Khan

Iā€™m Nada Khan, a GP and an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer based within APEx.  I have recently been awarded a Wellcome Accelerator Award, which is a personal development award open to researchers of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage to allow them to build their career and achieve the next stage after their PhD.   The great […]


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ā€œItā€™s good to just bounce ideas and learn from each otherā€™s perspectivesā€ Ayodele, Public Collaborator ā€“ Public co-applicant reflections on the first Public Patient Involvement (PPI) meeting for the NLR Project funded by Cancer Research UK.

Andrew, Celia, Neomi and Ayodele (left to right) The project: Clinical utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in identifying patients at risk of cancer diagnosis in primary care: a cohort study using routine electronic health records Research group: Sarah Bailey, Richard Neal, Sarah Price, Luke Mounce, Liz Down, Tanimola Martins, Elizabeth Shepherd, David Shotter, Celia Butler, […]


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Introducing Dr Serge Engamba

Integrating Clinical Practice, Research, and Leadership in Primary Care Hello, my name is Dr. Serge Engamba, and I am delighted to join the APEx community. My career as an Academic GP spans clinical practice, research, and leadership, with a focus on advancing evidence-based care in primary care settings. Currently, I am a GP at Oak Street Medical Practice in Norwich […]


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