Wessex Research Hubs

02/05/2026

ITV News Meridian came to our hubs in Southampton and Bournemouth to cover participants taking part in the nationally important avian flu trial, supported by National Institute for Health and Care Research and delivered by NHS teams.

People living in Bournemouth, Weymouth and Southampton areas are invited to take part. More info on our website. We welcome you to watch this piece. Thank you

30/04/2026

One of our wonderful research volunteers celebrated her 60th birthday with us this week!

Sarah, who works in the agricultural industry, travelled to the Weymouth Research Hub on her birthday to take part in a nationally significant bird flu vaccine trial, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Happy Big Birthday Sarah and thank you for sharing your birthday with us!

You can read more about this on our website under news, or the "take part" tab. Just search, Wessex Research Hubs.

26/04/2026

The Odyssey 301 Trial will study an investigational vaccine (a vaccine that is being studied), called mRNA-1018 H5, to see whether it may help protect against symptoms of pandemic flu, specifically H5N1 “bird flu”.

H5 “bird flu” is a virus that causes outbreaks in birds, particularly poultry. It has also been found in other animals such as cows. People can become infected through close contact with infected animals, their droppings, or by breathing in the virus particles in a contaminated environment.

In people, symptoms have most commonly been mild and may include eye redness/irritation, fever, cough, headache, sore throat, tiredness, and muscle aches. In some cases, people may develop more serious symptoms such as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, confusion and seizures and may need care in a hospital.

You cannot catch bird flu by receiving this investigational vaccine.

You may be able to take part if you:

are 18 years of age or older

are in good health (including well-controlled chronic conditions)

have not been treated with antiviral therapies or any vaccines for the last 28 days.

Further study details
​Your participation in the Odyssey 301 Trial will last about 7 months.

You will attend an initial screening visit, up to 4 additional clinic visits, and 4 scheduled phone calls with the clinical trial team

You will be given 2 injections about 21 days apart, which will be either:

An investigational mRNA-1018 bird flu vaccine; OR

A placebo (contains no active ingredients

Reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed.​

After screening, up to 4 clinic visits + 4 scheduled calls across approximately 7 months.​

Each clinic visit lasts approximately 1-3 hours.

You will be asked to complete an electronic diary (eDiary) for 7 days after each injection

​Enrolling in this clinical trial is completely your choice. An independent safety board reviews the data regularly; you can leave the study at any time.

Please contact you nearest hub to register your interest. Each hub's contacts details are listed on our website.

22/04/2026

We are excited to see our Southampton Research Hub feature in the news today! To find out more about taking part, please ensure you are signed up to our newsletter by searching "Wessex Research Hubs".

The jab targets the H5N1 flu strain which has caused devastating infections in bird populations worldwide, but has yet to spread between humans.

31/03/2026

We're out and about talking all things health research today in the Cascades Shopping Centre, Portsmouth. Come and chat to us!

24/03/2026

Shopping in Portsmouth this Easter break? 🐣🛍️ Our research team will be at the Cascades on Tuesday, 31 March.

Drop by our stand for a chat to find out:

✅ how research helps improve treatments for everyone
✅ what research is happening in Portsmouth right now
✅ how you can volunteer for studies that match your interests

Bringing the family? We’ll have some fun activities to help children and young people learn what health and care research is all about! 💡🧬

Research isn't just for scientists in labs - it’s for all of us. Come have a chat and see how you can make a difference!

23/02/2026

Please help us spread the word!

This clinical trial will be investigating a human vaccine for avian flu infections. We expect to open in three locations - Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth. To register your interest in taking part, please email your nearest hub, stating you are interested in hearing more about the bird flu trial. You will then be contacted by email/phone when the trial is activated and open to recruitment, which is likely to be in March. The email addresses are listed below.

Southampton (Shirley Health Centre) [email protected]

Bournemouth (Royal Bournemouth): [email protected]

Weymouth (Linden Unit): [email protected]

17/02/2026

When Ian arrived at Weymouth Research Hub, he expected the usual health checks and paperwork involved in taking part in a clinical trial. Instead, the visit revealed a life‑threatening medical emergency he didn’t even know he was having - and ultimately saved his life.

Read more here -

When Ian Whitehead arrived at Weymouth Research Hub, he expected the usual health checks and paperwork involved in taking part in a clinical trial. Instead, the visit revealed a life‑threatening medical emergency he didn’t even know he was having - and ultimately saved his life.Mr Whitehead, 70,...

10/11/2025

We are now booking for our new clinical trial in Southampton, and you may be eligible to take part. This study is designed to investigate whether a new investigational drug could help prevent the flu. First appointments are taking place now and will run until early December.

Key Information:
• No overnight stay required
• Compensation provided, plus travel expenses reimbursed
• Free complimentary health check
• The trial lasts 197 days and includes 6 visits to our Southampton hub
• You will receive payment within 5 working days of each visit

To take part, you will need:

• A valid, in-date ID (passport or driver’s license only — photocopies not accepted)
• To be registered with a GP in the UK
• No pregnancy in the last 6 months and not currently breastfeeding
(contraception requirements also apply)
• No flu vaccine in the past 14 days
• There are some medical condition requirements for this trial, this will be discussed on the call with one of our friendly team

Participation is entirely voluntary. At this stage, you are only expressing interest — final eligibility will be determined by specific study criteria.

If you're interested in participating, please email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch with more information.

If you have any questions, feel free to call us on 023 8120 3943.

READ MORE by clicking the link below
https://www.wessexresearchhubs.nhs.uk/post/flu-study-now-open

26/09/2025

Introducing our new public members from across diverse communities in the Wessex area. We want to ensure the public is well represented in what we do at Wessex Research Hubs, and improve inclusion in cutting edge clinical trials.

We look forward to listening to your views and learning from your lived experience as we seek to broaden participation and break down barriers.

Thank you for stepping up!

05/09/2025

Are you signed up to this? Via NIHR Research Delivery Network

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1120164696835805