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Name: Professor Jackie Cassell

Academic position: Chair in Clinical Epidemiology

Research: Epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections; large primary care databases

Contact details:

Room 311 Mayfield House
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
University of Sussex
Falmer
Brighton BN1 9PH
UK

Tel (direct line): +44 (0)1273 644741
Tel (messages): +44 (0)1273 644143
Fax: +44 (0)1273 644440

E-mail:

Biography:

  • Aug 06-Oct 06 Senior Clinical Research Fellow, University College London
  • Aug 05-Jul 06 Specialist Registrar, Genitourinary Medicine, Camden PCT
  • Oct 04-Jul 05 Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University College London, and Honorary Consultant in Health Protection, Health Protection Agency
  • Oct 02-Sep04 Specialist Registrar in Public Health, Surrey and Sussex Health Protection Unit, and honorary clinical research fellow at University College London)
  • Sep 98 - Sep 02 Wellcome Research Health Services Research Training Fellow, Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Royal Free and University College Medical School, and Specialist Registrar in Public Health (North Thames Rotation)

Teaching focus:

I teach epidemiology and research methods, and contribute to the teaching of Individual Research Projects.

Research focus:

My current research focuses on epidemiology and health services research in relation to sexually transmitted infections, in the UK setting, and on the development of epidemiological methods to use large primary care databases for public health benefit.


Current research:

My day to day research currently focuses on two MRC funded studies in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections in the general practice setting. The first of these aims to answer the question: What are the extent, quality and costs of HIV management in UK primary care? through analysis of a large primary care database. The second study, Developing innovative strategies in the care pathway for STIs diagnosed in primary care, aims to develop low-cost interventions in the care pathway aimed at reducing delay in care for sexually transmitted infections. This is also funded by the MRC.

I contribute to a number of other funded studies as co-investigator, including The effect of infections during pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes and infant and childhood health: a retrospective cohort study of over 200,000 pregnancies (funded by BUPA and based at University College London), and Can Expedited Partner Therapy Improve Outcomes of Partner Notification? A Feasibility Study and Exploratory Trial, an MRC funded study led by Dr Claudia Estcourt of Queen Mary College, University of London.

I am increasingly interested in the opportunities afforded by large primary care databases for epidemiology and public health, and am in the process of developing new proposals in this field.


Key/recent publications:

Hughes G, Williams T, Simms I, Mercer CH, Fenton K, Cassell JA. Use of a primary care database to determine trends in genital chlamydia testing, diagnostic episodes and management in UK general practice, 1990-2004. Sexually Transmitted Infections 2007;sti. (Online First)

Slater W, Sadler K, Cassell JA, Horner P, Low N. What can be gained from comprehensive disaggregate surveillance? The Avon Surveillance System for Sexually Transmitted Infections. Sexually Transmitted Infections 2007;sti. (Online First)

Cassell, J A, Mercer, C. H., Imrie, J., Copas, A., and Johnson, A M. Who uses condoms with whom? Evidence from national probability sample surveys. Sexually Transmitted Infections 82;467-473, 2006.

Cassell JA, Mercer CH, Fenton KA, Copas AJ, Erens B, Wellings K et al. A comparison of the population diagnosed with chlamydia in primary care with that diagnosed in sexual health clinics: Implications for a national screening programme. Public Health 120(10):984-8, 2006.

Cassell JA, Leach M, Fairhead JR, Small M, Mercer CH. The social shaping of childhood vaccination practice in rural and urban Gambia. Health Policy & Planning. 21(5):373-91, 2006.

Cassell JA, Leach M, Poltorak MS, Mercer CH, Iversen A, Fairhead JR. Is the cultural context of MMR rejection a key to an effective public health discourse? Public Health120(9):783-94, 2006.

Barrett, G, Cassell J A, Peacock, J, and Coleman, M. In the public interest, or an invasion of privacy? A national survey of public attitudes towards the use of identifiable medical data by the National Cancer Registry. BMJ, May 2006; 332: 1068 - 1072

Cassell JA, Mercer CH, Sutcliffe L, Petersen I, Islam A, Brook MG et al. Trends in sexually transmitted infections in general practice 1990-2000: population based study using data from the UK general practice research database. BMJ 2006; 332(7537):332-334.

Cassell JA, Low N. How can chlamydia diagnoses increase when their complications are declining? Sexually Transmitted Infections 2005; 81(4):285-286.

White PJ, Ward H, Cassell JA, Mercer CH, Garnett GP. Vicious and virtuous circles in the dynamics of infectious disease and the provision of health care: gonorrhea in Britain as an example. Journal of Infectious Diseases 2005;824-36.

Conaty SJ, Cassell JA, Harrisson U, Whyte P, Sherr L, Fox Z. Women who decline antenatal screening for HIV infection in the era of universal testing: results of an audit of uptake in three London hospitals. Journal of Public Health 27(1):114-7, 2005

Poltorak M, Leach M, Fairhead J, Cassell JA. 'MMR talk' and vaccination choices: an ethnographic study in Brighton. Social Science & Medicine 61(3):709-19, 2005.

Griffiths, V, Ahmed-Jushuf, I, and Cassell, JA. Understanding access to GUM services. Int J STD AIDS . International Journal of STD and AIDS 2004;15; 587-589.

Cassell JA, Wilkinson P, Gaudoin J, Good I, Iversen A. How to do it? Practical guidance on organising mass antibiotic prophylaxis for a large school after a cluster or meningococcal disease. Commun.Dis Public Health 2004;7:56-60.

Darroch J, Myers L, Cassell JA. Sex differences in the experience of testing positive for genital chlamydia infection: a qualitative study with implications for public health and for a national screening programme. Sex Transm Infect 2003;79:372-3.

J A Cassell, M G Brook, R Slack, N James, A Hayward, and A M Johnson
Partner notification in primary care Sex. Transm. Inf., Jun 2003; 79: 264-a - 265.

O Kufeji, R Slack, JA Cassell, S Pugh, and A Hayward Who is being tested for genital chlamydia in primary care? Sex. Transm. Inf., Jun 2003; 79: 234 - 236.

Cassell JA , Brook MG, Mercer CH, Murphy S, Johnson AM. Treating sexually transmitted infections in primary care: a missed opportunity? Sex Transm Infect 2003; 79(2):134-136.

Cassell JA , Brook MG, Mercer CH, Murphy S, Johnson AM. Maintaining patient access to GUM clinics: is it compatible with appointments? Sex Transm Infect 2003; 79(1):11-15.

Cassell JA , Young A. Why we should not seek individual informed consent for participation in health services research. Journal of Medical Ethics 2002; 28:313-317.

 

Active collaborations:

  • Public health outcomes, costs and cost-effectiveness of GUM and primary care based STI services: How to maximise STI control and cost-effectiveness for a population (MRC, newly awarded as co-applicant, a collaboration with University College London, Imperial College, University of Newcastle)
  • Developing innovative strategies in the care pathway for STIs diagnosed in primary care. This MRC funded study on which I am co-applicant began in October 2004. This study is a collaboration with Bristol University, University College London, Birmingham University and the Health Protection Agency. It will involve exploitation of a novel surveillance system to develop and evaluate primary care interventions to improve sexual health care – I run the London half of the study. Sep 2007 £294,931. G0300708
  • What are the extent, quality and costs of HIV management in UK primary care? I am Principal Investigator on this MRC funded study which will use a large primary care database to explore the extent of HIV testing and management in UK primary care. to Jul 2007 Funding £207,022 G0500096
  • Can Expedited Partner Therapy Improve Outcomes of Partner Notification? A Feasibility Study and Exploratory Trial. This study, on which I am a co-applicant, was recently funded by the MRC for £302,314. Dr Claudia Estcourt, of St Bartholomew’s Hospital and Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, is the Principal Investigator. 30 months to Jan 2008 G0500100
  • The effect of infections during pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes and infant and childhood health: a retrospective cohort study of over 200,000 pregnancies. Hayward A, Cassell J, Harling R, Morris R, Nazareth I, Osborne V, Pebody R, Petersen I. BUPA 2004. £93,183. 2 years to July 2007

Other information

  • Honorary consultant in health protection, Surrey and Sussex Local Health Protection Unit
  • Associate Editor Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • Health Protection Agency Theme Leader for R+D in Behavioural Science 2006-
  • Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency Member, Independent Scientific Advisory Committee 2006-
  • Medical Research Council Member, College of Experts (from April 2006, 3 year term)
  • Department of Health Member of Sexual Health Data Group and Board for Common Dataset for Sexual Health. 2003-current
  • British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) Member of British Co-operative Clinical Group which undertakes surveys in UK GUM clinics (2004-)