HEALTH researchers in Bradford carrying out pioneering and innovative work in the city will be demonstrating their studies to the public in Centenary Square next week.

The roadshow involving the Bradford Institute for Health Research is to celebrate International Clinical Trials Day.

More than 20 different research specialities will be there when the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Joanne Dodds officially opens it at 11am on Wednesday.

People will be able to speak to research staff and find out the latest advances in work including a bid to eradicate Hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that predominantly infects the cells of the liver and, if left untreated, can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer and death.

BIHR associate director of research and BTH consultant respiratory physician, Dr Dinesh Saralaya said clinical trials are a vital element of the work supported and funded by the National Institute for Health Research to develop evidence needed by professionals and policy makers to make important decisions.

During the event, a one-minute advertisement marking the Institute’s work will be shown on Big Screen in City Park explaining how clinical research has a vital role in helping people understand how medical conditions work, improving care for patients and delivering better and more advanced treatments to the clinic faster.

Mr Saralaya said: “International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world each year to commemorate the day that James Lind started his famous trial on the deadly disease scurvy.

"It provides a focal point to raise awareness of the importance of research to health care, and highlights how partnerships between patients and healthcare practitioners are vital to high-quality, relevant research.”

Bradford Institute of Health Research’s Clinical Research Facility is based at Temple Bank House which is situated within the grounds of Bradford Royal Infirmary.

It is one of four UK centres taking part in a study to wipe out Hepatitis C. It won a grant for researchers to go into GP surgeries and identify people who were at risk of having the virus.

As part of that study 20,000 letters have been sent out and 6,000 people have taken up the offer of blood tests but the results can not be made public until the study is completed.

Liver expert and consultant hepatologist Dr Sulleman Moreea said: "The Hepfree study will help advise the Department of Health if there should be a national screening programme. Our study has been the biggest recruitment centre."

Money given to Hepatology research in Bradford helps fund on-going projects. Some of those include looking at drug-induced liver injury and gathering information on how effective is a new tool being used in endoscopy to stop bleeding from a stomach ulcer.