Dr Lorna Aucott

Biography

Currently I am  an Emeritus Senior Statistician having recently retired (July 2024) as the Senior Statistician within ACE (Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation - formally known as HSRU).  I joined this Unit in November 2017, and managed the Unit statisticians and all statistics commitments.   I graduated (BSc Hons in Applied Statistics) from Hallam University, Sheffield in 1984, then went on to complete a PhD ("Analysis of Near Infra Spectra: For Compound Feeds") as a split Statistical/Biometrics discipline from the University of Aberdeen in 1991.  Between 1984 -2017 I lectured statistics to mathematical/non-mathematical students at undergraduate/postgraduate levels in Preston and then back in Aberdeen.  Since 2008 I have been a Senior Lecturer in medical statistics initially with the Medical Statistics Team, University of Aberdeen before joining the Unit. I have been a Royal Statistical Society (RSS) fellow since 1984 and  been actively involved over the years where-ever I have been and until Dec 2023 was chair of the local Highlands RSS group.  I have had a particular interest in obesity prevention projects especially those directed towards young adults, although more recently my interests have move to be more trial methodologically based.  I have a current and historical interest in using routinely collected data with an epidemiological perspective, but hope to redirect this to explore ways of embedding BIG data into new trial study designs.

External Memberships

• Fellow of the Royal statistical Society 1981-   (Recent chair of local group 2018-2023)
• Statistician on the NIHR Public Health PHR funding board (PHR) (2017- 2022)
• Statistician on several DMC panels for external verification of trials (2017- )

Research Overview

Epidemiological and statistical aspects of longitudinal data.  Specifically related to obesity prevention/treatment and associated lifestyle factors including nutrition, physical exercise, behaviour and attitude. Latterly evidence synthesis played a big part of our work in collaboration with NICE (TARs Contract) for assessing Single Treatments and NIHR for quick reviews on research questions they deemed important

Current Research

Whilst in the Trials unit I was beginning to develop practical assessments around analyses considering several outcomes (primaries) together as multivariate models rather than adjusting each of their multivariable models.

Past Research

Effects of Diabetes and Obesity and the effect of weight losses on diabetes.

Obesity prevention particularly for the 16-25 year olds as a hard to reach group with many of the known weight gain trigger points experienced during a life-course.  We were developing suitable healthy lifestyle intervention programs for specific communities starting with participatory action research approaches.

The effect of foetal growth trajectories on later health outcomes is of particular interest and being investigated in partnership with computer science methodologies.

Effects of Diabetes and Obesity and the effect of weight losses on diabetes.

Funding and Grants

• 01/07/2023 to: 30/06/2029 (72 months) NIHR HTA The ELIPSE Study - a randomised controlled trial comparing the clinical and cost effectiveness of lymph node removal in patients undergoing curative surgery for localised high-risk. £2,305,096.22 CI: Krishner Narahari and Professor Rakesh Heer (Joint CI),Professor Graeme MacLennan, Professor Catto, Mr Jonathan Aning, Mr Ben Challacombe, Dr Ann Henry, Professor Philip Cornford, Mr  Greg Shaw, Dr Graham Scotland, Dr Lorna Aucott, Dr Brendan Boylan
• 01/04/2022 to 31/03/2027. M Brazzelli, G Scotland, L Aucott, D Boyers, N Scott, C Ramsay. Production of Technology Assessment Reviews (TARs) for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Department of Health, National Institute of Health Research (NIHR); £2,925,000.
• 12/2021 to 31/12/2023 (36m). Veeru Kasivisvanathan; Steven Maclennan; Param Mariappan; Kevin Gallagher; Lorna Aucott; Tim O'Brien. .  The Transurethral REsection and Single instillation mitomycin C Evaluation in bladder Cancer Treatment (RESECT). Study Funders: Rosetree foundation £145,099
• 1st Oct 2021-30th Sept 2022 (12 months ) NIHR HTA RG16037, £156,841.83 “What is the evidence for interventions used to manage sleep disturbances in people with fibromyalgia? A comprehensive evidence synthesis to inform clinical practice and future research.” Dr Miriam Brazzelli (PI): Katie Gillies; Debra Dulake; Abhishek.Abhishek; Lorna Aucott; Garry Macfarlane; Nicole Tang; Daniel Whibley
• 01/08/2021 to 31/07/2025 (48 months) SPIROMAC – SPIROmetry to Manage Asthma in Children NIHR EME (£1,666,666.39) NIHR129819. Professor Steve Turner, Dr Ian Sinha, Dr Erika Kennington, Dr Lorna Aucott, Professor Graeme MacLennan, Dr Seonaidh Cotton, Associate Professor Erol Gaillard, Mrs Beth Thompson, Mrs Shakeela Riaz
• 2018- 2020, 24 months (extended to June 21) CSO (£291,358) ref HIPS/18/09:  ‘Slowing the flow of zero day admissions to hospital: data linkage to inform priorities for future intervention along paediatric referral pathways’.  Prof Steve Turner (PI), Emma France; Pat Hoddinott'; Philip Wilson; Cari Malcolm; Richard Kyle,; Adrian Crofton; Jamie Cooper; Craig Ramsay; Lorna Aucott;
• 1st April 2018- 31st March 2020 (24 Months) (extended to April 21) HTA NIHR £508,667.80 17/68/01 “IPD Testosterone Effects and Safety in Men with Low Testosterone levels (TESTES): An evidence synthesis and economic evaluation”.  Channa Jayasena (PI), Prof. Waljit Dhillo, Prof. Nicholas Oliver, Prof. Frederick Wu, Dr. Richard Quinton, Prof. Siladitya Bhattacharya, Dr. Miriam Brazzelli, Dr. Katie Gillies, Dr. Rodolfo Hernandez, Dr Lorna Aucott (Senior Statistician, Aberdeen), Mr Justin Gold and TBC
• 2015-2018, BJA/RCoA, £65,000: ‘Melatonin in doctors and nurses working nightshifts (MIDNIGHT) trial’. Prof Helen Galley(PI), Professor Nigel Webster, Dr Lorna Aucott
• 1st August 2016 – 31st March 2020 (delayed start): Arthritis Research Uk £468,197.55 ‘Do non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the appearance of sacroiliac joint bone marrow oedema on MRI, in spondyloarthritis’ Grant reference 21022. (PI) Dr Gareth Jones, Dr Lorna S. Aucott (statistician); Prof Gareth Macfarlane; Wing Commander Alexander Bennett; Dr Raj Sengupta. John Norrie (Clinical Trial Unit Representative)
• Jan 2018-2020: 2 year study: CSO £224,576 (stats £13,515) ‘A pilot Study of Oral Melatonin in Patients with Sepsis’. Funding Reference (ETM/358) Grant number RG12651-10.  (PI) Prof Helen Galley, Co-PI’s Prof Nigel Webster, Prof John Norrie and Dr Lorna Aucott.
• March 2014- Feb 2015:   Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland £59,965 ‘Childhood Asthma Prevalence in 2014 – How and why has this changed over the past 50 years’. Dr Turner (PI) Dr N Miln-Tagiyeva, Prof G Devereux Dr L Aucott  CH019 RGB4456
• Feb 2014- Oct 2014:   NHS-Grampian £12,056 ‘Community pharmacy weight management referral feasibility study’. Drs Margret Watson (PI) Dr L Aucott  GP044 RGC2424
• June 2012-May 2013: CSO, £132,549 (Stats cost £5,627) ‘A dose escalation study of melatonin in healthy volunteers as a potential treatment for sepsis’ Prof Helen Galley(PI), Professor Nigel Webster, Dr Damon Lowes, Dr Lee Allen, Dr Lorna Aucott: CSO (ETM/167)
• 2007 – 2008: NHS Grampian, £116,720. ‘Grampian Youth Lifestyle Survey’. Prof Cairns Smith, Dr. Edwin van Teijlingen, Dr. Lorna Aucott, Ms. Flora Douglas, Dr. Amudha Poobalan
• 2006-2009 NPRI £495,656. PRevent Obesity GRowing Economic Synthesis Study (PROGRESS) ‘An Economic Evaluation of Obesity Prevention for UK adults’: Vale, K. Mavromaras , A. Avenell , L. Aucott, E. van Teijlingen, F. Douglas, M. Ryan, M. Sutton, A. Goode, A. Scott
• 2004 Jan- June CSO, £14,501 (£9,551) ‘Early Warning Score. Early recognition and intervention or critical illness in the surgical HDU environment.’ B Cuthbertson, G. Prescott, L Aucott, J. Brittenden