Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox

I am a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and General Practice at the University of Oxford, with a distinguished career in translational research, clinical epidemiology, and public health. My work has notably advanced the development, validation, and implementation of clinical prediction tools that significantly improve patient care, as well as conducting large-scale analyses of medication safety.

Educational Background and Early Career

I obtained my medical degree from the University of Sheffield and earned my doctorate from the University of Nottingham. My training spans both General Medicine and General Practice, and I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners. At the University of Nottingham, I progressed from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, Reader, and full Professor, before being appointed as full Professor at the University of Oxford in 2019.

Recognition and Awards

In 2023, I was honoured as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator. My research impact has been recognized with the highest level of the National Clinical Impact Awards(N3). My accolades include the John Fry Award from the RCGP for excellence in research (2009), multiple RCGP Paper of the Year awards (2011, 2018, 2021), Heart paper of the year (2021) and the BMJ Editors’ Paper of the Year (2019). I have also received the John Perry Award from the British Computing Society for an outstanding contributions to NHS Information Technology (2013, 2021).

Research Funding and Publications

I have secured over £45 million in collaborative research funding from major organizations such as the NIHR, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Innovate UK, ESRC, and various research councils and charities. I have authored more than 300 publications in leading medical journals, with an i10-index of 176, an H-index of 87, and over 27,500 citations.

Innovative Contributions

I founded and direct QResearch, one of the world's largest and most comprehensive medical research databases, encompassing over 40 million patient records. My development of clinical risk prediction tools,including QRISK, QDiabetes, QCancer, QFracture, and QCovid, has been pivotal. These tools, many of which are the first of their kind globally, have been integrated into clinical guidelines and computer systems, with over 100 million patient assessments since 2010.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I led the development of the QCOVID risk tool, which identified 1.5 million high-risk patients for priority, winning John Perry Award from the British Computing Society, the Florence Nightingale Award for Excellence in Health Care Analytics, and high commendation from the Health Service Journal.

Leadership and Service

I have served on numerous national and international scientific and research funding boards and am a Professorial Fellow and Trustee of St Anne’s College, Oxford. My national leadership roles include founding member of the National Ethics and Confidentiality Committee of the Health Research Authority, chair of the NERVTAG risk stratification group, and member of SAGE and multiple NHS advisory and guideline groups. Additionally, I have provided evidence for Parliamentary Enquiries on clinical topics and NHS data confidentiality.

At the University of Oxford, I established the primary care epidemiology research group and lead research impact initiatives. I have also led efforts to improve equity and diversity within the department, enhancing career opportunities for early to mid-career researchers.

My career reflects a commitment to advancing clinical practice through research, developing innovative tools, and leading efforts to improve public health on a national and international scale.

DECLARATIONS

JHC is an unpaid director of QResearch, a not-for-profit organisation which is a partnership between the University of Oxford and EMIS Health who supply the QResearch database. Until  2023, JHC had a 50% shareholding in ClinRisk Ltd, co-owning it with her husband, who was an executive director. In 2023, 100% of the share capital was donated to Endeavour Health Care Charitable Trust and the company renamed to Endeavour Predict Community Interest Company. JHC is an unpaid consultant to Endeavour Predict and her husband is a non-executive director.  The company licences software both to the private sector and to NHS bodies or bodies that provide services to the NHS (through GP electronic health record providers, pharmacies, hospital providers and other NHS providers).