Skip to main content

Staff Profile

Sola Akinbolade

Research Associate, Horizon Scanning and Evidence Synthesis, NIHR Innovation Observatory

Background

I am a Research Associate in Horizon Scanning and Evidence Synthesis. My role involves leading and collaborating within a team to design and conduct comprehensive literature searches across medical, health, and social science databases, as well as clinical trial and research registries, to identify, assess, and report on new and emerging health technologies that address unmet clinical needs.


I am deeply committed to enhancing patient access to innovative therapies, including new or repurposed medications that can prevent, diagnose, and treat various conditions. In my work as a healthcare innovations researcher, I focus on identifying, assessing and reporting on emerging health technologies to provide timely information for national stakeholders, such as NICE, DHSC, OLS, NHS England, MHRA, and IRLSS; this supports informed decision-making and strategic planning regarding health technologies. I also conduct clinical effectiveness reviews of new technologies for the production of Technology Assessment Reviews (TARs) for NIHR to support the NICE Technology Appraisal process. Additionally, I analyse trends and identify research gaps to offer valuable insights and help guide future research efforts.


My background is in pharmacy, with experience across community and hospital settings, as well as within the pharmaceutical industry. I also have experience in conducting clinical trials through my brief role with a Contract Research Organisation. During this time, I assisted the clinical research team with patient recruitment, trial activities, patient monitoring, and various administrative tasks.



About the NIHR Innovation Observatory


Home - NIHR Innovation Observatory


The NIHR Innovation Observatory is a world leading health and care innovation scanning centre providing data-driven insights to foster innovation and equitable access to high quality care. We aim to transform health systems and improve population health by providing advanced data-driven insights that foster innovation and equitable access to high quality care. At the core of our work is the development of data-driven methods to identify, capture and synthesise intelligence on new health innovations. We develop and share cutting edge methods in horizon scanning, building capacity in the systems across the public, voluntary and industry sectors.

 

We deliver essential intelligence and insights about medicines and MedTech innovation to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the NIHR, the UK Health Security Agency, the Department for Health and Social Care and industry - allowing these organisations to prepare for policies, regulation and frontline delivery for new, emerging and disruptive technologies.


Research

Previous projects

  • COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) combination therapies
  • Horizon scan for the obesity medicine pipeline to inform the Office for Life Sciences
  • Drug repurposing for COVID-19 as an efficient approach to exploring new indications for approved therapeutic agents towards the prevention and treatment of COVID-19


Current projects

  • Leading the repurposed medicines horizon scanning project to provide regular insights and intelligence on repurposed medicines in clinical development by non-commercial organisations, such as universities, charities, and research institutes. This work informs and supports the NHS England Medicines Repurposing Programme.
  • Conducting rapid horizon scans and reviews to support national stakeholders in decision-making and strategic planning.
  • Identifying and assessing innovative health technologies that could become available in the UK within the next three years to support the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal and Highly Specialised Technology assessments.
  • Conducting research in areas that address unmet medical needs.




Publications