Staff profiles

I am a clinician scientist in Intensive Care Medicine.

My clinical training in intensive care medicine was based in Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, James Cook University Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital, amongst other NHS hospitals in the North East of England. I undertook my PhD under the supervision of Professor John Simpson, evaluating a novel biomarker-based diagnostic for ventilator-associated pneumonia. I was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal award from the Intensive Care Society for this body of work. I continued my postdoctoral research as an NIHR clinical lecturer. I was appointed to Senior Clinical Fellow and Honorary Consultant post through the Newcastle Health Innovation Partners in 2022. My clinical practice is based in the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Intensive Care Unit (ward 38).

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My research focuses on improving antibiotic stewardship in critically ill patients. Patients are often admitted to intensive care with severe infections and are at risk of healthcare-associated infections. Antibiotics are lifesaving to these patients but the overuse of antibiotics carries significant harms including increasing antimicrobial resistance, drug toxicity and antibiotic-associated infection (such as Clostridium difficile). Striking the balance of effectively treating patients while avoiding harms is challenging for critically ill patients.

My PhD focused on diagnostics, aiming to identify patients who truly have infections who would benefit from antibiotics. I evaluated a novel biomarker-based test to rule-out ventilator-associated pneumonia. This was tested in a multi-centre validation study and a randomised controlled trial.

My research continues to strive for optimised antibiotic stewardship in critically ill patients through the following projects:  

RISC-sepsis (NIHR128374)

This project is an NIHR EME funded study that is an embedded mechanistic study within a larger NIHR HTA funded trial (ADAPT-sepsis led by Professor Paul Dark, University of Manchester). Within RISC-sepsis, we carry out detailed immune profiling of patients with sepsis to identify patients with sepsis-induced immune dysfunction and then link these immune profiles to clinical outcomes within the larger trial. This study will determine whether immune dysfunction impacts the effectiveness of antibiotic stewardship interventions. This project is managed by Warwick Clinical Trials Unit.

@RISCSepsis

SHORTER trial (NIHR134101)

This NIHR HTA funded trial will be a large, pragmatic randomised controlled trial with an embedded process evaluation. The trial will address the question of whether short, fixed-course antibiotics are safe and effective in critically ill patients with sepsis. The intervention will be a 5-day course of antibiotics (choice of antibiotic according to local practice) and the outcome measures will be mortality and overall antibiotic use measured at 28 days. The trial will include over 2000 patients recruited from 50 ICUs. Recruitment is planned to commence in early 2023. This project is managed by Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit.

I am available to supervise PhD, Masters and undergraduate students.

• Articles

  • Webb EJD, King N, Sandoe JAT, Grozeva D, West R, Howard P, Powell N, Albur M, Bond S, Dark P, Hellyer T, Llewelyn M, McCullagh IJ, Ogden M, Pallmann P, Parsons H, Partridge D, Shaw D, Szakmany T, Todd S, Thomas-Jones E, Carrol ED, Shinkins B, Sandoe J, Carrol E, Thomas-Jones E, Euden J, Euden J, Brookes-Howell L, Brookes-Howell L, Henley J, Maboshe W, Pallmann P, Grozeva D, Bargiel M, Evans J, Webb E, Bestwick R, Bestwick R, Howdon D, Howdon D, King N, Shinkins B, West R, Richman C, Gerver S, Hope R, Hopkins S, Heginbothom M, Howard P. The cost-effectiveness of procalcitonin for guiding antibiotic prescribing in individuals hospitalized with COVID-19: part of the PEACH study. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2024, 79(8), 1831-1842.
  • Sandoe JAT, Grozeva D, Albur M, Bond SE, Brookes-Howell L, Dark P, Euden J, Hamilton R, Hellyer TP, Henley J, Hopkins S, Howard P, Howdon D, Knox-Macaulay C, Llewelyn MJ, Maboshe W, McCullagh IJ, Ogden M, Parsons HK, Partridge DG, Powell N, Prestwich G, Shaw D, Shinkins B, Szakmany T, Thomas-Jones E, Todd S, West RM, Carrol ED, Pallmann P. A retrospective propensity-score-matched cohort study of the impact of procalcitonin testing on antibiotic use in hospitalized patients during the first wave of COVID-19. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2024, 79(11), 2792-2800.
  • Powell J, Powell S, Mather MW, Beck L, Nelson A, Palmowski P, Porter A, Coxhead J, Hedley A, Scott J, Rostron AJ, Hellyer T, Zaidi F, Davey T, Garnett JP, Agbeko R, Ward C, Stewart CJ, Taggart CC, Brodlie M, Simpson AJ. Tracheostomy in children is associated with neutrophilic airway inflammation. Thorax 2023, 78(10), 1019-1027.
  • Elcioglu ZC, Errington L, Metes B, Sendama W, Powell J, Simpson AJ, Rostron AJ, Hellyer TP. Pooled prevalence of lymphopenia in all-cause hospitalisations and association with infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infectious Diseases 2023, 23, 848.
  • Thompson S, Pang CY, Sepuru KM, Cambier S, Hellyer TP, Scott J, Simpson AJ, Proost P, Kirby JA, Rajarathnan K, Sheerin NS, Ali S. Nitration of Chemokine CXCL8 acts as a natural mechanism to limit acute inflammation. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 2023, 80, 35.
  • Henley J, Brookes-Howell L, Euden J, Pallmann P, Llewelyn M, Howard P, Powell N, Dark P, Szakmany T, Hellyer TP, Albur M, Hamilton R, Prestwich G, Ogden M, Maboshe W, Sandoe J, Thomas-Jones E, Carrol E. Developing a model for decision-making around antibiotic prescribing for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in acute NHS hospitals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative results from the Procalcitonin Evaluation of Antibiotic use in COVID-19 Hospitalised patients (PEACH Study). BMJ Open 2023, 13(12), e077117.
  • Euden J, Pallmann P, Grozeva D, Albur M, Bond SE, Brookes-Howell L, Dark P, Hellyer T, Hopkins S, Howard P, Llewelyn MJ, Maboshe W, McCullagh IJ, Ogden M, Parsons H, Partridge D, Powell N, Shaw D, Shinkins B, Szakmany T, Todd S, Thomas-Jones E, West RM, Carrol ED, Sandoe JAT. Procalcitonin Evaluation of Antibiotic Use in COVID-19 Hospitalised Patients (PEACH): Protocol for a Retrospective Observational Study. Methods and Protocols 2022, 5(6), 95.
  • Wilson KJ, Williamson SF, Allen AJ, Williams CJ, Hellyer TP, Lendrem BC. Bayesian sample size determination for diagnostic accuracy studies. Statistics in Medicine 2022, 41(15), 2908-2922.
  • Powell N, Howard P, Llewelyn MJ, Szakmany T, Albur M, Bond SE, Euden J, Brookes-Howell L, Dark P, Hellyer TP, Hopkins S, McCullagh IJ, Ogden M, Pallmann P, Parsons H, Partridge DG, Shaw DE, Shinkins B, Todd S, Thomas-Jones E, West R, Carrol ED, Sandoe JAT. Use of procalcitonin during the first wave of covid-19 in the acute nhs hospitals: A retrospective observational study. Antibiotics 2021, 10(5), 516.
  • Loughlin L, Hellyer TP, White PL, McAuley DF, Conway Morris A, Posso RB, Richardson MD, Denning DW, Simpson AJ, McMullan R. Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Patients with Suspected Ventilator-associated Pneumonia in UK ICUs. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2020, 202(8), 1125-1132.
  • Hellyer TP, Mantle T, McMullan R, Dark P. How to optimise duration of antibiotic treatment in patients with sepsis?. The BMJ 2020, 371, m4357.
  • Hellyer TP, McAuley DF, Walsh TS, Anderson N, Conway Morris A, Singh S, Dark P, Roy AI, Perkins GD, McMullan R, Emerson LM, Blackwood B, Wright SE, Kefala K, O'Kane CM, Baudouin SV, Paterson RL, Rostron AJ, Agus A, Bannard-Smith J, Robin NM, Welters ID, Bassford C, Yates B, Spencer C, Laha SK, Hulme J, Bonner S, Linnett V, Sonksen J, Van Den Broeck T, Boschman G, Keenan DWJ, Scott J, Allen AJ, Phair G, Parker J, Bowett SA, Simpson AJ. Biomarker-guided antibiotic stewardship in suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAPrapid2): a randomised controlled trial and process evaluation. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2020, 8(2), 182-191.
  • Pinder EM, Rostron AJ, Hellyer TP, Ruchaud-Sparagano MH, Scott J, Macfarlane JG, Wiscombe S, Widdrington JD, Roy AI, Linnett VC, Baudouin SV, Wright SE, Chadwick T, Fouweather T, Juss JK, Chilvers ER, Bowett SA, Parker J, McAuley DF, Conway Morris A, Simpson AJ. Randomised controlled trial of GM-CSF in critically ill patients with impaired neutrophil phagocytosis. Thorax 2018, 73(10), 918-925.
  • Ewan V, Hellyer T, Newton J, Simpson J. New horizons in hospital acquired pneumonia in older people. Age and Ageing 2017, 46(3), 352-358.
  • Morris AC, Gadsby N, McKenna JP, Hellyer TP, Dark P, Singh S, Walsh TS, McAuley DF, Templeton K, Simpson AJ, McMullan R. 16S pan-bacterial PCR can accurately identify patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Thorax 2017, 72(11), 1046-1048.
  • Hellyer TP, Ewan V, Wilson P, Simpson AJ. The Intensive Care Society recommended bundle of interventions for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Journal of the Intensive Care Society 2016, 17(3), 238-243.
  • Nolan TJ, Gadsby N, Hellyer TP, Templeton K, McMullan R, McKenna J, Rennie J, Robb CT, Walsh TS, Rossi AG, Conway Morris A, Simpson AJ. Low-pathogenicity Mycoplasma spp. alter human monocyte and macrophage function and are highly prevalent among patients with ventilator-acquired pneumonia. Thorax 2016, 71(7), 594-600.
  • Scott J, Harris GJ, Pinder EM, Macfarlane JG, Hellyer TP, Rostron AJ, Morris AC, Thickett DR, Perkins GD, McAuley DF, Widdrington JD, Wiscombe S, Baudouin SV, Roy AI, Linnett VC, Wright SE, Ruchaud-Sparagano MH, Simpson AJ. Exchange protein directly activated by cyclic AMP (EPAC) activation reverses neutrophil dysfunction induced by beta(2)-agonists, corticosteroids, and critical illness. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2016, 137(2), 535-544.
  • Hellyer TP, Anderson NH, Parker J, Dark P, Van-Den-Broeck T, Singh S, McMullan R, Agus AM, Emerson LM, Blackwood B, Gossain S, Walsh TS, Perkins GD, Conway-Morris A, McAuley DF, Simpson AJ. Effectiveness of biomarker-based exclusion of ventilator-acquired pneumonia to reduce antibiotic Use (VAPrapid-2): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2016, 17, 318.
  • Hellyer TP, Morris AC, McAuley DF, Walsh TS, Anderson NH, Singh S, Dark P, Roy AI, Baudouin SV, Wright SE, Perkins GD, Kefala K, Jeffels M, McMullan R, O'Kane CM, Spencer C, Laha S, Robin N, Gossain S, Gould K, Ruchaud-Sparagano MH, Scott J, Browne EM, MacFarlane JG, Wiscombe S, Widdrington JD, Dimmick I, Laurenson IF, Nauwelaers F, Simpson AJ. Diagnostic accuracy of pulmonary host inflammatory mediators in the exclusion of ventilator-acquired pneumonia. Thorax 2015, 70(1), 41-47.
  • Browne E, Hellyer TP, Baudouin SV, Morris AC, Linnett V, McAuley DF, Perkins GD, Simpson AJ. A national survey of the diagnosis and management of suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia. BMJ Open Respiratory Research 2014, 1(1), e000066.

• Editorial

  • Conway Morris A, Hellyer TP. Sniffing out pneumonia in the ICU. Anaesthesia 2023, 78(6), 684-687.

• Letters

  • Hellyer TP, Simpson AJ. Could host response guide VAP treatment? No answer yet – Authors' reply. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2020, 8(5), e38-e38.
  • Hellyer T, Morris AC, Simpson AJ. Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia More Is Less or Less Is More?. Chest 2013, 144(5), 1734-1735.

• Review

  • Robey RC, Logue C, Caird CA, Hansel J, Hellyer TP, Simpson J, Dark P, Mathioudakis AG, Felton T. Immunomodulatory drugs in sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Anaesthesia 2024, 79(8), 869-879.