The third Trial Talks session took place this week, continuing our new open research club designed to bring colleagues together to explore, appraise and better understand research taking place across the NIHR Clinical Research Facility (CRF): Newcastle. 

Trial Talks provides an informal opportunity for staff to learn about different research teams, facilities and studies, while connecting with colleagues from across the trust and our academic partners over a cuppa and an in-person catch-up. 

This session featured two speakers from the Clinical Ageing Research Unit (CARU): Maria Price, senior research sister, who introduced CARU and its work and Philip Brown, research physiotherapist, who provided an overview of the unit’s specialist gait laboratory.

About the Clinical Ageing Research Unit (CARU)

Located at the Campus for Ageing and Vitality (CAV), CARU is a partnership between Newcastle University and The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NUTH). The unit forms part of CRF Newcastle and is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 

CARU supports research into ageing syndromes, movement disorders, multiple long-term conditions and studies involving advanced imaging techniques. This includes research for dementia, parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, mitochondrial disorders and sarcopenia (loss of muscle strength and muscle mass) as well as other ageing syndromes, including cardiovascular ageing and visual impairment.

A research facility designed around patients 

Accessibility and inclusivity are central to CARU’s design and delivery. The facility has been designed with participants in mind, offering free parking, services located close together on a single level, and spacious clinic and study rooms that can comfortably accommodate people with mobility needs and their study partners. To further reduce barriers to participation, travel expenses are covered for participants.

The team also works closely with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) to widen opportunities for people across the North East to take part in research.

Facilities and equipment 

CARU is equipped with a range of specialist research facilities, including; three clinic rooms, two larger study rooms, two interview rooms, a procedure room, a laboratory for blood sample preparation, a visual perception laboratory,  DEXA scanner and two MRI scanners.

The unit supports both commercial and non-commercial studies, including early-phase trials. CARU has extensive experience delivering monoclonal antibody studies focused on parkinson’s disease and dementia. 

The team also manages a large parkinson’s disease research cohort, which has contributed to the identification of new biomarkers that are helping to advance understanding and treatment of the condition. 

Inside the gait laboratory 

One of CARU’s most distinctive facilities is its gait laboratory, a specialist environment designed to accurately measure and analyse human movement and performance.

As one of only a limited number of facilities of its kind in the UK, the gait lab provides researchers with a highly controlled environment.

The laboratory houses a wide range of advanced technologies, including:

• High-speed motion capture​ for measuring whole body co-ordination​

• Instrumented walkway​ for measuring gait​

• Force platforms ​for measuring balance​

• Surface electromyography​ for measuring muscle activity​

• Inertial Measurement Units​ for remote monitoring​

• Motorised treadmill​ with harness and overhead gantry​

• Dynamometers​ for strength testing​

What happens in the gait lab? 

The gait lab is an integrated part of CARU’s multidisciplinary clinical research environment and supports both clinical and researcher-led studies. 

Its work includes: 

• Comprehensive and bespoke assessments of human movement and performance 

• Research involving age-related neurodegenerative conditions such as parkinson’s disease and dementia 

• Studies focused on neuromuscular and rare diseases, including ataxia and mitochondrial disease 

• Observational, cross-sectional and interventional study designs 

• Collaborations with academic institutions, industry partners, research consortia and international organisations 

• Development and validation of innovative analytical approaches and data-processing algorithms 

Expertise behind the technology 

In addition to its advanced technology, the success of the gait lab relies on the expertise of the team operating it.

The laboratory is led by Dr Lisa Alcock, gait lab lead, who ensures staff are trained to deliver studies safely and effectively, while maintaining high standards of data quality in line with ALCOA+ principles.

Supporting the CARU team is a wider multidisciplinary network, including colleagues from the DIAN (Digital Health, Innovation in Ageing and Neurodegeneration Research​) group, Digital Health, who we work with to process, analyse and interpret the data generated through the laboratory’s research activities. 

Looking ahead

Trial Talks continues to showcase the breadth of research expertise and specialist facilities across the Newcastle CRF. We will be sharing more information about the next Trial Talks session soon.