The Leeds Teaching Hospitals Uveitis Research Team, led by Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr Kanchan Bhan, is responsible for running several high-profile clinical studies at the Trust into uveitis, a type of rare inflammatory disease affecting the eye.
The CLARITY trial at Leeds is examining a new medicine, brepocitinib, which is giving patients with sight-threatening uveitis access to a therapy that has shown promise in other autoimmune conditions. The dedication of the team placed Leeds among the top 10 recruiting centres internationally and second in the UK for recruiting participants to the study.
The team is also supporting and facilitating leading research into a particularly rare form of uveitis, Birdshot Chorioretinitis (BSCR), which occurs in less than 1 in 100,000 people.
This includes two studies, aimed at gathering data to help improve clinical care and to enable benchmarking of quality standards for the disease across the UK.
Leeds is one of six national centres taking part in the Birdshot ABC study into BSCR, aiming to establish appropriate clinical guidelines through researching the condition.
In 2025 the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Uveitis Research team also collaborated in the BIRDSET trial, studying the clinical features and genetic profiling of BSCR. This connected patients at Leeds Teaching Hospitals with the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London to undergo clinical assessment to better understand the condition.
This impressive portfolio of research highlights the importance of collaboration between clinicians in building a strong evidence base for less common conditions.
By harnessing more collaborative approaches, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Uveitis Research Team is helping to refine diagnostic testing and treatments, improving outcomes and quality of life for patients affected by this group of rare conditions.