The Statistical Methods in MLTC Research Community of Practice (CoP) is an initiative that aims to bring together statistical researchers studying multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) to:

1. Harness expertise across project
2. Reduce duplicated work
3. Increase collaboration and compatibility of analyses

If you would like to keep up to date about events hosted by the CoP, then please sign up to the mailing list here. For more information about the CoP please contact Richard Allen (richard.allen@leicester.ac.uk) or Ruth Bowyer (ruth.c.bowyer@kcl.ac.uk).

What do the CoP do?

The CoP is aiming to help collaborations through the following ways:

• Bi-monthly online seminars: These alternate between 1-hour formal seminars where someone presents their research into MLTCs, and discussion seminars, where someone will give a brief presentation of a topic or some work-in-progress to allow more time for discussion. If you would like to receive invites to future seminars, please sign up to the mailing list. Recordings of seminars will be made available on the "Records" tab of this site.
• Online repository: This Zenodo page is available to all researchers who wish to share resources for MLTC research. This could include analysis code, disease code lists, data, results, slides and videos. All records will be assigned a DOI meaning they can be easily referenced, To upload a file, click the "New upload" button at the top of the page. We will also include links to useful resources on this page (see below).

In the past the CoP has also hosted in-person workshops and a two-day symposium attended by 99 people. Slides and materials from these events can be found on this Zenodo site (see "Records" tab). We will look at hosting future in-person events depending on funding available. 

We are also currently writing a manuscript on recommendations for MLTC research and producing educational videos based on discussions from the workshops. 

Useful resources for MLTC research

Links to national MLTC research collaboratives

• ADMISSION: Aims to characterise multiple long-term conditions in hospital patients, focusing on burden and occurrence of inequalities, describe the links to care pathways and investigate underlying biological causes. 
• DEMISTIFI: DEfining MechanIsms Shared across mulTI-organ FIbrotic disease to prevent the development of long term multi-morbidity. Aims to investigate multi-organ fibrosis (scarring) and shared mechanisms between fibrotic diseases using disease specific cohorts and population biobanks.
• GEMINI: Genetic Evaluation of Multimorbidity towards INdividualisation of Interventions. Aims to study the causes of multimorbidity with a new approach, using existing databases of DNA sequence information linked to diseases from 10,000s of people.
• LINC The LIfespaN multimorbidity research Collaborative. Aims to understand how physical and mental health multimorbidity develops throughout people’s lives in population-based cohorts.
• MMTRC: Multimorbidity Mechanisms and Therapeutics Research Collaborative. Aims to bring together various data sources and apply Artificial Intelligence Technology to identify which diseases occur together, which diseases share common causes and the roles of medications in treating and preventing multimorbidity.

Other MLTC Community of Practices

• MLTC CoP in Clinical Context and Pathways: For more information about this CoP, please contact Jane Masoli (University of Exeter, j.masoli@exeter.ac.uk)
• Early Career Researcher Training on Best Practice in Patient and Public Involvement with Diverse Populations CoP: For more information about this CoP, please contact Stephani Hanley (University of Birmingham, s.hanley@bham.ac.uk)
• Qualitative Methods for MLTC research CoP: For more information about this CoP, please contact Sue Bellass (Manchester Metroploitan University, s.bellass@mmu.ac.uk)

History of the CoP

The first Statistical Methods CoP (https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/gemini/statistical-methods-community-of-practice/) was set-up by Ruth Bowyer (Kings College London) and Jack Bowden (University of Exeter) with the help of Andrea Harvey (University of Exeter), which began hosting the first online meetings.

In 2021, the MRC funded six national research collaboratives for MLTCs. In 2022, the MRC also funded three CoPs to facilitate collaboration between these projects, namely 1) MLTC CoP in Clinical Context and Pathways, 2) Early Career Researcher Training on Best Practice in Patient and Public Involvement with Diverse Populations CoP, and 3) the Statistical Methods in MLTC Research CoP. A fourth Qualitative Methods for MLTC research CoP was later incorporated into the MRC portfolio.

The MRC-funded Statistical Methods in MLTC Research CoP was led by Richard Allen (University of Leicester), Jane Masoli (University of Exeter), Alireza Mohammadinezhad Kisomi (University of Nottingham), Luke Pilling (University of Exeter), Sarah Robinson (University of Leicester) and Floriaan Schmidt (University College London), held in-person and online meetings and produced manuscripts and videos for best practices in MLTC research. These events were held alongside the existing online meetings organised by Ruth and Andrea. The MRC funding ended in January 2025.

Going forward, we are continuing the CoP to keep facilitating collaborations between researchers investigating MLTCs. The University of Leicester Biomedical Research Centre Multimorbidity Theme has committed to providing some support for the CoP going forward.

Acknowledgements

• Ruth Bowyer (Kings College London)
• Richard Allen (University of Leicester)
• Jack Bowden (University of Exeter)
• Andrea Harvey (University of Exeter) 
• Jane Masoli (University of Exeter)
• Alireza Mohammadinezhad Kisomi (University of Nottingham)
• Luke Pilling (University of Exeter)
• Sarah Robinson (University of Leicester)
• Floriaan Schmidt (University College London)

Between 2022 and 2025 the CoP was funded by the Strategic Priority Fund “Tackling multimorbidity at scale” programme [grant number MR/X004457/1] delivered by the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research in partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council and in collaboration with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.