James Sheppard

I am an Applied Health Data Scientist interested in better understanding the benefits and harms of treatments, with a particular focus on cardiovascular disease prevention. My research aims to develop tools which improve the targeting of preventative therapies such as antihypertensives and statins at patients with the most to gain.

I lead the Hypertension and Stratified TreAtments Research (STAR) groups which aim to improve the management of hypertension and prescribing in patients with multiple long term conditions. Our work uses prognostic modelling techniques to predict those patients who are most likely to benefit and those most likely to suffer harm from medications commonly prescribed in primary care. We also undertake systematic reviews of adverse events associated with treatment and randomised controlled trials of targeted deprescribing in older patients, including the OPTiMISE trial and OPTIMISE2 trial.

My previous work has involved developing a clinical prediction tool for PRedicting Out-of-OFfice Blood Pressure (PROOF-BP) to enable targeting of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in primary care. I supervise a number of DPhil students and teach on MSc in Applied Digital Health. I am chair of the department's Athena Swan initiative and Secretary of the British and Irish Hypertension Society.

research studies

PROOF-BP

OPTiMISE

OPTIMISE2

STRATIFY: Antihypertensives

STRATIFY: Statins

BPD-Screen