Dr Fiona Warren

About me:
I am based in both the Exeter Clinical Trials Unit in College House, and in the Primary Care Department in the Smeall Building, at St Luke's Campus. My main areas of interest include clinical trials and meta-analysis/evidence synthesis, in particular the use of individual participant data (IPD) within meta-analysis. Completed clinical trials include the RESPOND trial, which evaluated the use of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (MBCT) in people with difficult to treat depression, and and the EcoWeb trial, part of an international collaboration that aims to promote mental health in young adults. Other completed trials include the REACH-HF trial, which evaluated the effects of an intervention for patients with heart failure, and potentially their caregivers as well, aimed at improving quality of life. Current trials include the ERICA trial, which aims to improve diagnosis of cancer in primary care by making an electronic diagnostic tool (known as an eRAT) available to GPs, the HIPSTER trial, which investigates different forms of total hip replacement, and the MORE-KARE trial, which is investigating the effects of ketamine at different doses in conjunction with psychological therapy for alcohol use disorder. In addition, I lead the statistics team for the CTU, which comprises a team of seven statisticians, all working on current CTU projects.
 
A recent IPD meta-analysis project has involved an international collaboration of psychologists with an interest in mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT); this collaboration pooled individual participant data from several trials conducted in Europe and North America, with the aim of comparing the effects of MBCT with other forms of treatment for patients currently in remission of depression. Two other projects involving IPD are the INTERPRESS-IPD and ABLE-BP projects; the INTERPRESS-IPD project investigates inter-arm difference in blood pressure as a potential prognostic marker for cardiovascular disease, while the ABLE-BP project aims to predict brachial blood pressure from ankle blood pressure (ABLE-BP), Another IPD meta-analysis examined the effects of exercise rehabilitation for patients with heart failure (ExTraMATCH-II).
 
I have also been involved in large scale surveys within primary care, including an analysis of patients' experience of out-of-hours primary care services, reported within the General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS).

Career:
Following a first degree in Medicine, I acquired experience in clinical practice and research (formerly working for the MRC Institute for Environment and Health). I then completed a Master's degree in Medical Statistics at the University of Leicester, which was followed by a PhD in evidence synthesis and meta-analysis methods, specifically focusing on the application of appropriate methods for meta-analysis of adverse events data. In October 2010, I moved to Exeter to take on a role primarily focusing on clinical trials, whilst maintaining my interests in evidence synthesis and meta-analysis.