GW4 UTI-AMR Network
University of Bath: Lauren Cowley (Bath Senior Lead), Keira Cozens (Bath ECR Lead), Pasquale Accardo, Ben Ashby, Javier F Favieres
University of Bristol: Wenjuan Cong (Bristol Senior Lead), Yujie Dai (Bristol ECR Lead), Maha Albur, Jane Currie, Ashley Hammond, Zuzanna Holwek, Philip Williams
Cardiff University: Leigh Sanyaolu (co-PI), David Williams (co-PI), Brekhna Hassan, Zara Toney, Brad Spiller
University of Exeter: William Gaze (Exeter Senior Lead), Laura Murray (Exeter ECR Lead), Matt Lloyd Jones
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections affecting people of all ages and are a major reason antibiotics are prescribed in the UK. While antibiotics are often effective, their widespread use contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), meaning infections become harder to treat over time. AMR is a growing threat to individual health, NHS services and society, making it increasingly important to find better ways to prevent, diagnose and manage infections such as UTIs.
UTIs are complex conditions influenced not only by bacteria, but also by patient experience, healthcare practice, behaviour and the wider environment. Some groups, including women, older adults and people with long-term conditions or catheters, are particularly affected. Addressing these challenges requires researchers from different disciplines to work together, alongside clinicians, policymakers and people with lived experience.
The GW4 UTI‑AMR Network brings together expertise from the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter to develop collaborative, patient‑centred research that supports better infection prevention and antibiotic use. By working closely with public partners and organisations such as the UK Health Security Agency and Public Health Wales, the network aims to ensure that research is directly relevant to real‑world care and policy.
This work aligns with UK Research and Innovation priorities, particularly around tackling infections, improving health and wellbeing, and ensuring that research leads to meaningful impact for patients and society.
The GW4 UTI‑AMR Network aims to build a strong, interdisciplinary research community focused on tackling antimicrobial resistance in urinary tract infections. During its initial phase, the network will bring together researchers across the GW4 universities, alongside clinicians, policymakers and people with lived experience, to co‑develop shared research priorities.
Key activities include a network launch event, stakeholder and policy engagement, collaborative writing retreats, and the development of shared infrastructure such as a dedicated website and governance arrangements. A central goal is to support early‑career researcher leadership and foster new cross‑institutional collaborations.
Through these activities, the network will develop patient‑ and policy‑relevant research ideas, strengthen interdisciplinary capacity, and produce outputs such as an open‑access publication and competitive external funding applications. The longer‑term aim is to establish a sustainable research community capable of shaping nationally relevant research and improving future UTI care.
