Professor Toby Richards

Professor Toby Richards

CRR Director

Professor Toby Richards is the Lawrence-Brown Professor of Vascular Surgery at the University of Western Australia. He was previously at University College London for ten years before emigrating 18 months ago. He has led a series of international clinical trials and supervised successful cohorts of students with 14 successful PhDs as well as over 50 BSc and master’s students. He has over 150 peer reviewed publications and $14M of research funding in the last decade.

Professor Richards leads the Covid Research Response Trial that has built a harmonised platform of research across the five metropolitan health care systems in W.A. All patient data is automatically linked to one REDCap (WHO ISARIC) platform in the Department of Health that is linked to biosamples. All data are deidentified and support 8 current COVID trials. This is a unique statewide platform for research in Australia.

​​​​​​​Professor Richards’ aim is to develop a centre for clinical trials that promotes collaboration as well as integration of research and audit to routine patient clinical care.  Download latest research report here

In Western Australia, Professor Richards is working with UWA, Perkins and SMHS to develop a clinical trials unit.

Professor Richards was, before COVID lockdowns, a regular speaker at over 75 international conferences in the last five years and is a key opinion leader on clinical trials, Patient Blood Management and Vascular Surgery. He is a board member of NATA (the international association for Patient Blood Management), ACTA (Australian Clinical Trials Alliance) and RACS Academic board. He has a specific interest in collaborative research involving medical students and junior doctors through TASMAN, STRIVE and StarSurg, also the Vascular surgery network, VERN.

National Clinical Trial: Chief / lead Investigator

CREST 2
Carotid Re-vascularization and Medical Management For Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis Trial A (CREST 2) RGS0000003745.
Dr Toby Richards Chief Investigator
Clinical Professor Graeme Hankey Co-Investigator
Ms Giuliana D’Aulerio Co-Investigator
Associate Professor Jason Chuen University of Melbourne Co-Investigator
Associate Professor Nishath Altaf Curtin University Co-Investigator

Statewide launch of international trial, multidisciplinary approach across FSH, SCG, Midland and RPH.
Integrated Masters Project on MRI Intraplaque Haemorrhage in collaboration with Basel university – suspended following cook funding withdrawal

SUNRISE
Single Use Negative pRessure dressings for Reduction In Surgical site infection following Emergency laparotomy – SUNRRISE
Grant holder, TSC lead, set up and leading recruitment at FSH,SCG,SJOG and Joondalup.

ABLE Biomechanics meets Phenomics: Towards understanding and predicting abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) disease progression. Recruitment @FSH, Pending RPH.

COVER – COVID-19 Vascular sERvice Study
11 vascular units in the CTANZ network

VOLUME – Venous Observational Study of Leg Ulcer Management and Endpoints

COVID-CANCER
Global-Surg collaboration on the impact of CVOID on cancer surgery

GIVE Groin wound Infection after Vascular Exposure VERN collaboration
A total of 1039 patients recruited in UK and Australia
Recruitment @ FSH & RPH

Articles submitted
Impact of CiNPWT on vascular wound infection and patient outcomes
Could the success of negative pressure wound therapy in the prevention of surgical site infections be attributable to less frequent wound handling? A mapping review.

OUTCOMES OF SURGERY IN COVID-19 INFECTION: A COHORT STUDY

SMART RECOVERY
Utalisation of exercise tracking apps to promote recovery after major surgery

POISE 3 TSC
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03505723?term=POISE+3&draw=2&rank=2

IRONMOUSE
The effects of iron deficiency and iron repletion on the mitochondria of the muscle and brain of mice.

IRONWOMAN
The role and effect of intravenous iron isomaltoside at improving functional performance outcome measures and quality of life

RAND consensus of Medical student learning during COVID
440+medical student two stage consensus on optimal teaching techniques in lockdown.

UWA CHASM – Integrated Digital Health Platform to Support Pandemic Preparedness and Response

RGS 3976 ISARIC/WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol.

  • Leading the COVID Research Response in WA
  • Director STRIVE – Student network for research and audit WA.
  • CI for the MRFF SUNRISE trial in Emergency Surgery in Australia.
  • CI and European lead for the NHMRC international multicentre trial, ITACS.
  • CI for PREVENTT a NIHR HTA multicentre RCT in Abdominal Surgery
  • CI for the ABLE, IRONWOMAN, VLU, CREST 2 and ECST 2 trails.

UWA

Director UWA / WAHTN clinical trials unit and biorepository
2019 – Head of Department of Surgery & perioperative care UWA
2019 – UWA Research committee
2019 – Medical Director – STudent Research InitiatiVE Western Australia (STRIVE)
2019 – 2020 Western Australia (WAHTN) Science on the Swan Organising Committee

National

2019 – Royal Australian College of Surgeons Academic Committee
2018- Royal Australian College of Surgeons Clinical Trials Network board
2019 – RACS Vascular Surgery CTANZ
2019 – Australian Clinical trial Alliance Group B working group
2019 – Medical journal of Australia, associate editor
2019 – Australian & New Zealand College of Surgeons Journal, associate editor

International

2020 – International VASCC research group
COVID-19 mesenteric ischaemia writing group
2020 – ISARIC collaboration
2019 – British Society of Haematology working group on preoperative anaemia
2019- International consensus working group on iron therapy (Chair)
2017 – International Iron Trialists Collaboration (Chair)
2016 – NATA International Network for Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives International Clinical Trial: TSC / DSMC or Chief Investigator

SPACE Chair DSMC
https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17251494

INTACT Chair DSMC
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1751143719870080

PREVENTT Chief Investigator
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01692418?term=toby+richards&draw=2&rank=2

ITACS Co Chair TSC (and TSC on HERROS substudy)
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02632760?term=ITACS&draw=2&rank=1

SUNRISE TSC and lead Pi
http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN17599457

POISE 3 TSC
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03505723?term=POISE+3&draw=2&rank=2

ECST 2 TSC and lead Pi
http://s489637516.websitehome.co.uk/ECST2/index2.htm
http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN97744893

IRON NOF TSC
https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=362379&isReview=true

Conference Organising Committees

2020 WAHTN Science on the Swan
2019 NATA
2018 British Blood Transfusion Society
2018 NATA
2018 1st Asian Iron Day