On 2 June 2020, Professor James Bilzon from our Department for Health took over from Professor Mark Batt (Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) as Director of the National Centre for Sport Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research.
Established in 2013, this is one of 13 national research centres funded by Versus Arthritis. The Centre is delivered in collaboration with Versus Arthritis and a consortium of six Universities:
The Centre consists of an established group of world-leading researchers in sport and exercise medicine, orthopaedics, rheumatology, skeletal muscle biology, physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, epidemiology and physiology. They work with sports representatives, patients, the public and carers, primarily to improve our understanding of the effects of sport, exercise and injury on musculoskeletal health and osteoarthritis.
Professor Bilzon commented; “I am incredibly grateful to Professor Mark Batt for his distinguished leadership of the Centre over the 7.5 years. I look forward to leading the Centre, in collaboration with a wide range of national and international partners and collaborators, for the remaining term. We already have many new and exciting projects which will enhance our understanding of osteoarthritis and enhance the quality of life of people living with the condition. If anything, the recent pandemic has increased the importance of our research, providing a focus for the development of digital healthcare technologies to increase physical activity levels and enable remote patient self-management.”