Health Unbounded

World Digestive Health Day, marked each year on 29 May, rarely commands the attention of global health funders or headline-makers. But it should. Digestive health is not a niche issue, it’s a lens through which we can better understand nutrition, chronic disease, health system gaps, and inequality. Across the globe, millions live with undiagnosed or untreated digestive conditions. These range from common, manageable disorders like reflux or irritable bowel syndrome to life-threatening diseases such as colorectal cancer. In many lower-income countries, people face long journeys to access care if that care exists at all. Diagnostic tools like endoscopy or pathology services may be unavailable, and specialist expertise in gastroenterology is often concentrated in urban centres, far from rural communities. The consequences go beyond discomfort. Poor digestive health affects growth and development in children, contributes to anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies, and increases vulnerab...

When baby Amy was born after the UK’s first successful uterine transplant, it made national news and rightly so. This milestone demonstrates not just the power of medical innovation, but what becomes possible when research and investment are directed towards women’s health. Conducted at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the operation involved a live donor transplant and resulted in a healthy pregnancy and birth, a first for the UK, and one of only a few dozen globally. Uterine transplants have been in development for over 20 years, with the first live birth recorded in Sweden in 2014. That it has now reached UK patients is a powerful reminder of how research can transform lives. But breakthroughs like this are rare for a reason. Women’s reproductive and sexual health remains chronically underfunded  despite its widespread and lifelong impact. According to the Women’s Health Strategy for England published by the Department of Health and Social Care , research into...

Ideas for this blog usually come from everyday moments. This one was sparked by a course on Research in Public Engagement especially relevant for those working in patient engagement roles. The course provided an opportunity to revisit key frameworks such as the Concordat to Support Research Integrity and the UK’s standards for public involvement, while also exploring examples of how researchers have engaged the public in the past and the common reasons many haven’t. A consistent theme emerged: most researchers value public involvement, but feel they lack the time, skills, or support to do it meaningfully. A 2021 PLOS One study found that while most life scientists saw value in engaging the public, only 32% had actually done it. That gap between good intentions and practical action is where AI could make a real difference. AI tools can support researchers in communicating their work more effectively and inclusively. For example: Lay summaries and plain language A...