Summary
Helen Ward trained in medicine at Sheffield University and is Clinical Professor of Public Health at Imperial College London and an NIHR Senior Investigator. She has three decades of experience in research, education and applied public health, working on the epidemiology and control of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and the development of participatory approaches in health research. Follow this link to a podcast and videos where Helen discusses public involvement.
COVID-19 activity
Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission: REACT
REACT is a major programme of home testing for COVID-19 to track the progress of SARS0CoV-2 infection across England though RT-PCR tests and self-administered antibody tests. It seeks to understand how many people are currently infected or have been infected with the COVID-19 virus. https://www.reactstudy.org/ Publications from this study:
Riley, S. Atchison C, Ashby D, Donnelly CA, Barclay WS, Cooke GS, Ward H, Darzi A, Elliott P, React Study Group. REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT) of SARS-CoV-2 virus: Study protocol [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 5
Atchison C, Pristerà P, Papageorgiou V, Redd R, Piggin M, Flower B, Fontana G, Satkunarajah S, Naar L, Lawrence-Jones A, Chigwende J, Gibbard S, Darzi A, Elliott P, Ashby D, Barclay W, Cooke G S, Ward H. Acceptability and usability study of in home self-testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a population-based sample of the UK adult population Clinical Infectious Diseases 2020;ciaa1178.https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1178
Flower B, Brown J, Moshe M, Frise R, Penn R, Kugathasan R, Simmons B, Atchison A, Taylor GP, Satkunarajah S, Fontana G, Pallett S, Jones R, Moore L, Tedder R, McClure M, Shattock R, Ward H, Darzi A, Elliott P, Barclay W, Cooke GS. Clinical and Laboratory Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 Lateral Flow Assays for use in a national COVID-19 sero-prevalence survey Thorax, 2020:thoraxjnl-2020-215732.
Ward H, Atchison CJ, Whitaker M, Ainslie KEC, Elliot J, Okell LC, et al. Antibody prevalence for SARS-CoV-2 in England following first peak of the pandemic: REACT2 study in 100,000 adults. medRxiv. 2020;2020.08.12.20173690 (pre-print)
Riley S, Ainslie KEC, Eales O, Jeffrey B, Walters CE, Wang H, Atchison C, Diggle PJ, Ashby D, Donnelly CA, Cooke G, Barclay W, Ward H, Taylor G, Darzi A, Elliot P. Transient dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 as England exited national lockdown. medRxiv2020.08.05.20169078;(pre-print)
CHARIOT COVID-19 Rapid response (CCRR)
The CCRR study aims to provide estimates on the number of participants who have already had COVID-19, and to measure the impact of the epidemic and lockdown measures on mental and physical well-being. Publications from this study:
Robb CE, de Jager CA, Ahmadi-Abhari S, Giannakopoulou P, Udeh-Momoh C, McKeand J, Price G, Car J, Majeed A, Ward H, Middleton L. Impact of social isolation on anxiety and depression during the early COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of older adults in London, UK. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2020;11:591120 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.591120
Community involvement and engagement
COVID-19 community involvement and engagement: We have developed a range of tools for involving and engaging the public and communities in the COVID response. Details on our PERC webpage. Publications and reports:
Imperial College London COVID-19 Response Team Report 10: Public Response to UK Government Recommendations on COVID-19: Population Survey, 17-18 March (20 Mar 2020) – link. download survey instrument here
Atchison CJ, Bowman L, Vrinten C, Redd R, Pristera P, Eaton JW, Ward H. Perceptions and behavioural responses of the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey of UK Adults medRxiv 2020.04.01.20050039;(pre-print) link
Philippa Pristerà, Vasiliki Papageorgiou, Meerat Kaur et al. Online Community Involvement in COVID-19 Research & Outbreak Response: Early Insights from a UK Perspective. Imperial College London https://doi.org/10.25561/77842. (3 Apr 2020)
Philippa Pristerà, Helen Ward, Katharine Collet et al. Insight Report: How the outbreak is being communicated to the public (16 April 2020)
Philippa Pristerà, Helen Ward, Katharine Collet et al. Insight Report: Digital Contact Tracing (16 April 2020)
Emily Cooper, Philippa Pristerà, Insight Report: Antibody testing & REACT Study (6 May 2020)
Maria Piggin, Katherine Collet, Philippa Pristerà. Insight Report: Guidance for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19 (18 June 2020)
Vas Papageorgiou, Emily Cooper, Jane Bruton, Silvia Petretti, Philippa Pristerà, Helen Ward. Insight Report: HIV Care during COVID-19 (15 July 2020)
Philippa Pristerà et al. Insight Report: Antibody testing on children (28 July 2020)
Online learning
Science Matters: Let’s Talk about Covid19, free online course link including module on community engagement in pandemic response
Comment and blogs
Pandemics, infodemics and the impact on people like you (and me). Helen Ward blog (28 Feb 2020) here
We scientists said lock down. But UK politicians refused to listen, Helen Ward. The Guardian (15 April 2020)
other RESEARCH
NIHR Imperial BRC Patient Experience Research Centre 2011- (PI)
NIHRImperial Biomedical Research Centre 2017-2022 (Executive Committee)
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West London2019-2024 (Theme lead, Patient, public, community engagement and involvement)
'People Like You'; contemporary figures of personalisation, Wellcome Trust Collaborative Award, 2018-2022 (Co-PI)
NIHR School for Public Health Research(Imperial College Co-I)
Maximising the Impact of New HIV Prevention Technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2018-2019 (PI)
TEACHING
Director of Education, Imperial School of Public Health
Co-Director, Global Master of Public Health(online degree)
Anthropology in Public Health Module (MPH)
Global Disease Masterclass Specialisation (GMPH)
Participatory methods for Public Health Specialisation (GMPH)
BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation(OPDC), a London Mayoral body overseeing the UK's largest regeneration project. Board member (2018 - 2021)
RESEARCH GROUP
Prof Sophie Day, Visiting Professor of Anthropology
Ms Maria Piggin, Partnerships and Training Manager
Dr Christina Atchison, Principal Clinical Academic Fellow
Dr Philippa Pristera, Research Associate
Ms Jane Bruton, Clinical Research Manager
Dr Kathryn Jones, Clinical Research Manager
Mr Adam Lound, Research Nurse
Dr Roz Redd, Research Associate
Dr Will Viney, Honorary Research Associate
Ms Halle Johnson, Public Involvement Officer
Ms Emily Cooper, Research Assistant
Mr Kabelo Murray, Research Assistant/ Teaching Fellow
Mr Will Kendall, Societal Engagement Officer
Ms Vas Papageorgiou, PhD student (LISS DTP)
Mr Flavien Coukan, PhD student (ARC DTP)
Mr Matthew Whitaker, Research Assistant/ PhD student
Mr Theo Georgiou Delisle, Visiting Clinical Research Fellow/ PhD student
Ms Lidia Luna Puerta, Visiting PhD Student (LKC Medicine, Singapore)
Ms Fola Afolabi, Graduate Management Trainee
Ms Kelly Gleason, Visiting Research Nurse
Ms Alison Perry, Visiting Research Nurse
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Atchison C, Pristerà P, Cooper E, et al., 2020, Usability and acceptability of home-based self-testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for population surveillance., Clinical Infectious Diseases, ISSN:1058-4838
Flower B, Brown JC, Simmons B, et al., 2020, Clinical and laboratory evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 lateral flow assays for use in a national COVID-19 sero-prevalence survey, Thorax, Vol:75, ISSN:0040-6376, Pages:1082-1088
Ward H, Garnett GP, Mayer KH, et al., 2019, Maximizing the impact of HIV prevention technologies in sub‐Saharan Africa, Journal of the International AIDS Society, Vol:22, ISSN:1758-2652
Rai T, Bruton P, Day S, et al., 2018, From activism to secrecy: contemporary experiences of living with HIV in London in people diagnosed from 1986 to 2014, Health Expectations, Vol:21, ISSN:1369-6513, Pages:1134-1141
Pufall EL, Kall M, Shahmanesh M, et al., 2018, Sexualized drug use ('chemsex') and high-risk sexual behaviours in HIV-positive men who have sex with men, HIV Medicine, Vol:19, ISSN:1464-2662, Pages:261-270
Davies B, Turner KME, Frolund M, et al., 2018, Pelvic inflammatory disease risk following negative results from chlamydia nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) versus non-NAATs in Denmark: A retrospective cohort study, PLOS Medicine, Vol:15, ISSN:1549-1277
McGrath-Lone L, Ward H, Schoenborn C, et al., 2015, The effects of cancer research participation on patient experience: a mixed-methods analysis., European Journal of Cancer Care, Vol:25, ISSN:1365-2354, Pages:1056-1064
Rönn M, White PJ, Hughes G, et al., 2014, Developing a Conceptual Framework of Seroadaptive Behaviors in HIV-Diagnosed Men Who Have Sex With Men, Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol:210, ISSN:1537-6613, Pages:S586-S593
Kim S-H, Gerver SM, Fidler S, et al., 2014, Adherence to antiretroviral therapy in adolescents living with HIV: systematic review and meta-analysis, AIDS, Vol:28, ISSN:0269-9370, Pages:1945-1956
Elmahdi R, Gerver SM, Guillen GG, et al., 2014, Low levels of HIV test coverage in clinical settings in the UK: a systematic review of adherence to 2008 guidelines, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Vol:90, ISSN:1368-4973, Pages:119-124
Ward H, 2007, Prevention strategies for sexually transmitted infections: importance of sexual network structure and epidemic phase, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Vol:83, ISSN:1368-4973, Pages:I43-I49
Ward H, Ison CA, Day SE, et al., 2000, A prospective social and molecular investigation of gonococcal transmission, The Lancet, Vol:356, ISSN:0140-6736, Pages:1812-1817