You are here: Previous research projects Published on 13 April 2026 Updated: 13 April 2026 Add Previous Research Projects Automating the design and production of customised face masks for children with facial differences who need breathing support Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy: could additional supplementation provide long-term benefits for children’s health? Personalising treatment for preschool children with recurrent wheezing to prevent attacks and reduce the long-term impact on their lung health Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: personalising treatment for children with these rare inherited heart conditions to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest Understanding how labour starts to uncover new ways to prevent spontaneous preterm birth Developing a cutting-edge treatment for a severe form of epilepsy that affects children Krabbe disease: developing a potential new drug treatment for a rare and severe condition that affects children NMDAR-antibody encephalitis: using cutting-edge brain scanning techniques to personalise treatment for a rare brain disease Primary ciliary dyskinesia: searching for drugs to treat this debilitating, rare lung condition Developing a new gene therapy for babies born with a rare severe lung condition Improving the treatment of traumatic brain injuries Long COVID: understanding how COVID-19 affects the brains of children with persistent symptoms Developing a new treatment for high-risk brain cancer in children Multiple sclerosis: assessing nerve repair in children to find out if they could benefit from new treatments Hunter syndrome: improving gene therapy for this rare and devastating disease Vici syndrome: searching for drug treatments for this rare and severe inherited condition Developing a diagnostic device that could be used to screen newborn babies for an infection that can cause long-term health problems Developing a new gene therapy for children with a rare severe liver disease Can pregnancy measurements help predict which babies are most at risk of learning difficulties? Asthma: predicting which pre-school children with wheezing will go on to develop the condition later in childhood Cerebral palsy: improving the understanding of the causes of foot deformity to help alleviate pain and improve mobility Sickle cell disease: could an asthma medicine improve children’s intellectual abilities? Brain injury at birth: could a new treatment called mitochondrial transplantation help protect brain cells from damage? Preterm birth: reducing the risk of babies dying or developing a severe lung condition using a new AI-based tool Peanut allergy – improving the safety and effectiveness of a new treatment X–linked lymphoproliferative disease: working towards a new cure Long COVID: developing a new online treatment programme to address breathing difficulties and mental health problems in children and young people Diagnosing a heart condition earlier so newborn babies can be treated faster Epilepsy: developing a new drug treatment for a rare and debilitating form of the condition COVID-19: exploring the impact of the pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of children with brain tumours Childhood leukaemia: developing a new treatment to overcome drug resistance Cerebral palsy: improving children’s movement through brain stimulation Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – improving diagnosis and monitoring of the disease in children Congenital heart disease – predicting the outcomes of heart surgery Improving facial reconstructive surgery for children using tissue engineering Anaemia: understanding the causes of a rare inherited anaemia to improve its diagnosis and treatment COVID-19 – understanding the impact of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 early in life on a child’s brain development and mental health Cerebral palsy: investigating the effectiveness of surgery to improve walking Preterm birth: investigating the importance of sleep cycles on brain development Childhood leukaemia: investigating a new drug treatment Epilepsy: searching for a new treatment for a group of rare childhood epilepsy syndromes Preterm birth: developing immunotherapy to prevent spontaneous preterm birth COVID-19 – understanding why children respond differently to infection compared to adults Reducing the long-term impact of traumatic brain injury on children’s lives Reducing the risk of preterm birth COVID-19: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women and their babies COVID-19 – identifying risk factors for severe disease or long-term complications in children Vasculitis: developing a new gene therapy for a rare inherited type of blood vessel inflammation Cerebral palsy: can regular exercise through RaceRunning improve health and mobility? Duchenne muscular dystrophy: searching for a new drug treatment Cerebral palsy: improving the assessment of language understanding so children can receive the support they need Preventing infections and reducing the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections in critically ill children Identifying risks and improving pregnancy care in childhood cancer survivors Inflammatory bowel disease: developing a new blood test to improve diagnosis and personalise treatment for children Diamond-Blackfan anaemia: understanding the causes to improve diagnosis and treatment of children with the condition Searching for new ways to treat ear infections Birth asphyxia – predicting long-term effects Cerebral palsy: developing a new technology-based approach for hand and arm rehabilitation Searching for treatments for three rare neurodevelopmental disorders Autism and ADHD: using state-of-the-art brain scanning techniques to spot problems early Can we prevent food allergies by giving young babies small amounts of the foods that cause them? Bronchiolitis: developing ways to prevent or treat serious lung infections Preventing brain injury in premature babies Helping preterm babies get the best treatments to combat infection Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome: developing a new treatment Lazy eye (amblyopia): gathering hard evidence on the best way to restore children’s vision Can special play activities help premature babies with learning? Developing a new test to identify women at risk of premature birth Microtia: improving surgery for children with small or missing ears Spinal muscular atrophy: developing a potential new treatment Cystic kidney disease – finding new drug treatments Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: personalising drug treatment X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis deficiency: developing a gene therapy cure for this rare disorder Pneumococcal meningitis: saving children’s lives and reducing complications from this serious infection Amblyopia: testing a new 3D movie treatment for lazy eye Vision in children born to mothers taking methadone in pregnancy Improving surgery for babies born with heart defects Brain cancer: identifying the best treatment for each child Preventing neural tube defects Cystic fibrosis: protecting children from life-changing infections Cerebral palsy: does it benefit children to stand up and exercise during lessons? Premature birth: helping babies whose early arrival has put them at risk of future anxiety Cystic fibrosis: developing a new type of gene therapy Premature birth - how does breastmilk help protect vulnerable babies from illness? Developmental language disorder: understanding the genes involved to help improve children’s lives Epilepsy: are night-time breathing problems disrupting children’s sleep? Niemann-Pick disease type C: testing a potential new drug treatment Reducing the impact of congenital heart disease on brain development Could a video game, combined with electrical brain stimulation, help children with ADHD? What causes Crohns disease? Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease - an inherited neurological disorder Brain damage at birth: could a diabetes medicine be protective? Cystic fibrosis: improving treatment for lung infections Neuroblastoma: helping children’s immune systems to fight high-risk cancers Could ultrasound scans help identify early hip problems for children with cerebral palsy? Neuroblastoma: helping children who are at greatest risk from this potentially life-threatening cancer Scarlet fever: reducing the spread of infection to help lower the risk of more serious life-threatening diseases Head injuries: could new brain scans help guide treatment and improve children’s outlook for the future? Perrault syndrome: working towards new treatments for children with this rare condition Developmental coordination disorder: how do children learn new movements? Epilepsy: a new way to treat children with uncontrolled seizures Inflammatory bowel disease: identifying children who are most in need of intensive early treatment Premature birth: delaying early labour Craniosynostosis: improving treatment for children Asthma: could personalised treatment improve children’s quality of life? Neurodegenerative disorders with brain iron accumulation – finding new treatments Neurofibromatosis type 1: spotting early signs of autism and ADHD in babies Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: making treatment even better X-linked ichthyosis: searching for better treatments for boys with this rare skin condition Germ cell cancers – protecting children from the side effects of treatment and saving more lives Developmental delay and learning difficulties: spotting problems early so young children can get the help they need Craniosynostosis: improving diagnosis and care for children with this rare condition Juvenile Batten disease - could a widely used medicine help children with this devastating, rare condition? Helping children in special schools to overcome vision problems Down syndrome: the mysterious benefits of bifocal glasses Epilepsy: could better brain scans enable more children to have life-changing surgery? Premature birth: tackling children’s difficulties with maths at school Systemic lupus erythematosus – helping children and teenagers understand why they are affected by this rare and disabling condition Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease – finding new treatments NEC: protecting newborn babies from this life-threatening bowel problem Developing safer tests for cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular atrophy during pregnancy Cerebral palsy: helping severely disabled children who use their eyes to communicate X-linked lymphoproliferative disease: a step closer to developing a cure Primary ciliary dyskinesia: tackling the underlying cause of this debilitating, rare condition Neurofibromatosis type 2 ADHD and autism spectrum conditions: could new brain scans improve diagnosis? Tourette syndrome: why are some children more prone to tics? Cerebral palsy: can exercises that strengthen calf muscles make walking easier for teenagers? Helping children who were born with cleft palate to speak clearly Premature birth: predicting who’s at risk Searching for better treatments for children with a rare metabolic disease Cerebral palsy: seizing the power of the body’s natural healing processes to repair brain damage Tackling a rare condition that robs children of their ability to talk and understand speech: Landau Kleffner syndrome Personalising surgery for babies with a serious heart disease Craniopharyngiomas: developing new drug treatments for children with these devastating tumours Anaemia – improving diagnosis and treatment for severe anaemia Stillbirth: searching for ways to protect babies from the tragedy of being stillborn Leukodystrophies: developing a new treatment for children with these devastating rare conditions Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease: developing a new way to study and eventually treat this disabling, rare disease of childhood Pregnancy: detecting complications earlier so women can get help sooner Could an app help tackle high levels of depression in teenagers with ADHD? Sanfilippo type B: developing a new treatment for this rare and devastating disease Cataracts: could a new approach to surgery improve children’s vision? Cerebral palsy: searching for a better way to predict children’s future needs and abilities Lysosomal storage diseases: developing new treatments for these rare and devastating diseases Argininosuccinic aciduria: developing a new treatment for this rare disorder HIV, immunodeficiencies and cancer: strengthening children’s immune defences Protecting more children from meningitis by developing a new MenB vaccine Brain damage at birth: could drug treatment help babies who need cooling therapy? Neuroblastoma: developing a new treatment for young children with cancer Could specially designed implants help babies with rare breathing difficulties? ADHD: could brain-training help children gain better self-control? Premature birth: how to stop women from going into labour too soon Developing a new treatment for children with a rare disorder who are vulnerable to life-threatening infections Autism spectrum disorders: monitoring children’s brain waves could allow earlier, more objective diagnosis Severe asthma: are fungi to blame? Head injuries: investigating the benefits of memory training Manganese toxicity: tackling this disabling metabolic imbalance Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis: how do the foods children eat affect their disease? Helping babies who are at risk of becoming obese Mitochondrial diseases: developing new treatments for children with these rare and sometimes devastating diseases Autism spectrum conditions: could glasses with coloured lenses help children? Creating new ears and noses for children who need them Perthes’ disease: identifying who is at risk and why? Diabetes during pregnancy: what puts babies at risk of diabetes too? Cystic fibrosis: which babies are at highest risk of the most severe disease? Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome: working towards a new treatment Tackling drug-resistant infections in seriously ill children Long-lasting pain: could specially designed computer games bring children much needed relief? Bowel problems in newborns – improving diagnosis of necrotising enterocolitis Cystic fibrosis - developing a new type of inhaled treatment Duchenne muscular dystrophy: developing a badly needed new treatment for boys with this devastating condition Congenital heart disease: improving treatment of babies and children born with heart defects Cerebral palsy: how a smart phone app for pre-school children might help with rehabilitation Premature birth: predicting which women might go into labour too soon Epilepsy: does sleep disruption interfere with children’s learning? Twin-twin transfusion syndrome: developing a new way to help babies who are struggling in the womb Fetal growth restriction: new hope for babies whose growth becomes dangerously slow in the womb Ataxias: hunting down the genetic causes of these devastating disorders of balance and coordination Premature birth: why are premature babies at increased risk of developing ADHD? Birth asphyxia: diagnosing fetal distress during labour Auditory Processing Disorder: why do some children struggle to make sense of speech? Epilepsy: new brain scans could give more children the chance of surgery X-linked lymphoproliferative disease: developing a cure for this rare disorder Premature birth and induced labour: boosting understanding gives new hope Sickle cell disease: which children are at highest risk of kidney failure? Flat feet: which children need surgery? Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnoea: better screening to help early diagnosis and unnecessary suffering Oxygen deprivation at birth: could a new type of 'gas and air' relieve mothers’ labour pains and protect babies? Blindness: how better diagnosis of a rare illness might protect children’s sight Stillbirth and other pregnancy complications: predicting who’s at risk Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): why do some children grow out of their disorder while others do not? Brain damage in babies: could sophisticated computing allow earlier diagnosis and better care? Brain cancer: tackling medulloblastoma, the most common, malignant, childhood brain tumour Vitamin D deficiency: should advice on sun exposure take skin colour into account? Pre-eclampsia: what goes wrong inside the placenta? Jeune syndrome: why are some babies born with this rare and disabling condition? Learning disability: finding genes, improving lives Startle disease: hunting down elusive genes Obesity in children: could sleep deprivation and technology use be partly to blame? Meningitis and septicaemia – developing a new vaccine Anxiety in children: how boosting memory might reduce anxiety and improve performance at school Secrets of a 'superbug': what makes Pseudomonas bacteria so deadly? What causes learning disabilities? Bronchiolitis and RSV infection
Automating the design and production of customised face masks for children with facial differences who need breathing support
Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy: could additional supplementation provide long-term benefits for children’s health?
Personalising treatment for preschool children with recurrent wheezing to prevent attacks and reduce the long-term impact on their lung health
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: personalising treatment for children with these rare inherited heart conditions to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest
Krabbe disease: developing a potential new drug treatment for a rare and severe condition that affects children
NMDAR-antibody encephalitis: using cutting-edge brain scanning techniques to personalise treatment for a rare brain disease
Multiple sclerosis: assessing nerve repair in children to find out if they could benefit from new treatments
Developing a diagnostic device that could be used to screen newborn babies for an infection that can cause long-term health problems
Asthma: predicting which pre-school children with wheezing will go on to develop the condition later in childhood
Cerebral palsy: improving the understanding of the causes of foot deformity to help alleviate pain and improve mobility
Brain injury at birth: could a new treatment called mitochondrial transplantation help protect brain cells from damage?
Preterm birth: reducing the risk of babies dying or developing a severe lung condition using a new AI-based tool
Long COVID: developing a new online treatment programme to address breathing difficulties and mental health problems in children and young people
COVID-19: exploring the impact of the pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of children with brain tumours
COVID-19 – understanding the impact of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 early in life on a child’s brain development and mental health
Cerebral palsy: improving the assessment of language understanding so children can receive the support they need
Preventing infections and reducing the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections in critically ill children
Inflammatory bowel disease: developing a new blood test to improve diagnosis and personalise treatment for children
Diamond-Blackfan anaemia: understanding the causes to improve diagnosis and treatment of children with the condition
Pneumococcal meningitis: saving children’s lives and reducing complications from this serious infection
Neuroblastoma: helping children who are at greatest risk from this potentially life-threatening cancer
Scarlet fever: reducing the spread of infection to help lower the risk of more serious life-threatening diseases
Head injuries: could new brain scans help guide treatment and improve children’s outlook for the future?
Developmental delay and learning difficulties: spotting problems early so young children can get the help they need
Juvenile Batten disease - could a widely used medicine help children with this devastating, rare condition?
Systemic lupus erythematosus – helping children and teenagers understand why they are affected by this rare and disabling condition
Tackling a rare condition that robs children of their ability to talk and understand speech: Landau Kleffner syndrome
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease: developing a new way to study and eventually treat this disabling, rare disease of childhood
Developing a new treatment for children with a rare disorder who are vulnerable to life-threatening infections
Autism spectrum disorders: monitoring children’s brain waves could allow earlier, more objective diagnosis
Mitochondrial diseases: developing new treatments for children with these rare and sometimes devastating diseases
Duchenne muscular dystrophy: developing a badly needed new treatment for boys with this devastating condition
Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnoea: better screening to help early diagnosis and unnecessary suffering
Oxygen deprivation at birth: could a new type of 'gas and air' relieve mothers’ labour pains and protect babies?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): why do some children grow out of their disorder while others do not?
