About Us

Starting in April 2023, Child Health Outcomes Research at Leeds (CHORAL) is a multi-million-pound children's research programme led by the University of Leeds (UoL) in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) and Leeds Hospitals Charity.

Over the next five years, the CHORAL programme will focus on key areas where research can improve outcomes for children and young people, with a particular focus on severe childhood illnesses including cancer, life-threatening diseases and mental health conditions.

Our Work

The Challenge

Most severe childhood illnesses represent 'rare' conditions but affect a significant proportion of children in totality. These conditions have the potential for significant short and long-term physical, social and mental health disruption for the young person and their families.

In addition, an increasing number of children and young people (CYP) are experiencing inequitable health barriers to their education and social mobility. Meanwhile our adult population is experiencing disease epidemics, such as obesity, with their roots in unhealthy childhoods.

CHORAL is a response to this urgent need to not only provide the best services to sick children - but to tackle the upstream determinants of poor health within our children and young people

Our vision is to create a whole system connected approach for better child health outcomes

CHORAL Aims

The aim of CHORAL is to improve physical, social, and mental health of children, young people and families by:

Providing the infrastructure to coordinate and facilitate world leading children's health research.
Enabling equitable access to health and social care.

Our Multidisciplinary Research Groups (MRGs)

We have set up three multidisciplinary research groups, to focus on key areas of research

They are:

Children’s Cancer Translational Research

Driving evidence-based improvements in outcomes for children and young people living with and beyond cancer.

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Improving Childhood Wellbeing

A partnership to tackle the wider determinants of child health.

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Transforming Outcomes Through Data Linkage

Delivering a step-change in understanding through innovative data linkages.

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We will support the delivery of our MRGs with cross-cutting infrastructure and capabilities

Future Leaders in Child Health Research

Working with Children and Young People

Creating a Vibrant Community

CHORAL will create a vibrant hub of clinicians, scientists, policy makers, children and young people and community settings.

Working collaboratively, we will bridge fragmented approaches and build upon the extensive world leading research that has already been undertaken in Leeds to improve child health outcomes.

The CHORAL vision is aligned with the ambitions of Leeds City Council to be the best city for children and young people to grow up in.

CHORAL will work with local and central government addressing high priority needs and health inequalities, with the intention of improving child research on a local, national and international level.

Meet the team