William Dixon

Overview

Will is a Professor of Digital Epidemiology at the University of Manchester and an honorary consultant rheumatologist at Salford Royal Hospital, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

His research aims to address clinically important questions by analysing data from patient populations, with particular focus on digital health data. This includes the analysis of electronic health record data from GP surgeries and from hospitals (for example, examining the safety of drugs used in rheumatology) and the collection and analysis of data direct from patients using smartphones and wearables. Examples of innovative digital health research projects and programmes include Cloudy with a Chance of Pain, REMORA (Remote Monitoring of RA) and Assembling the Data Jigsaw. He leads the UK-wide network Health Research from Home which aims to collate and share best practice about the use of smartphones and wearables for population health research. He was Director of the Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis from 2014-2023.

Will is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Our Future Health (Chair 2021-2026) and the Adolescent Health Study. He is a member of MRC's Centres of Research Excellence Panel and its College of Experts.

Memberships of committees and professional bodies

British Society for Rheumatology
Royal College of Physicians
International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology

Qualifications

BSc (Physiology), The University of London, 1995
MBBS, The University of London, 1997
MRCP 2002
MSc (Clinical Rheumatology), The University of Manchester, 2004
PhD, The University of Manchester, 2008
MSc (Pharmacoepidemiology), McGill University, Montreal, 2011

External positions

Scientific Advisory Group, Adolescent Health Study

Apr 2026 → …

Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE) Panel Member, Medical Research Council (MRC)

Feb 2025 → …

Population Health Sciences Group (PHSG) Member , Medical Research Council (MRC)

Oct 2023 → Mar 2025

Scientific Advisory Board, Our Future Health

Apr 2021 → …

Population & Systems Medicine Board (PSMB) Member, Medical Research Council (MRC)

Apr 2020 → Mar 2025

Consultant to Google Health, Google UK Limited

2017 → 2021

External Examiner, Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacovigilance, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Jul 2016 → Jul 2021

Pharmacovigilance Expert Advisory Group Member, MHRA (Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

2011 → 2017

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

Christabel Pankhurst Institute
Digital Futures

Keywords

Epidemiology
Digital epidemiology
Pharmacoepidemiology
Rheumatology
Arthritis
Drug safety
mHealth
eHealth
Smartphones
Wearables

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where William Dixon is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

1 Similar Profiles

Comparative Risk of Delirium Among Opioid Users for Non-Cancer Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Ramirez Medina, C., Lunt, M., Dixon, W. & Jani, M., 11 Feb 2026, In: BMC Medicine. 24, 90.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
Current methods for analyzing time-series patient-generated health data to assess treatment response: a scoping review
Banda, M., Bladon, S., Al-Attar, M., Cahuantzi, R., Jenkins, D. A., Dixon, W. G. & van der Veer, S. N., 11 Mar 2026, In: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Perspectives on remote monitoring technology of South Asians living with a long-term condition in the United Kingdom: a qualitative study
Ali, S. M., Masood, Y., Staniland, K., Dixon, W. G., van der Veer, S. & Sanders, C., 13 Apr 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: JMIR Human Factors.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Active remote monitoring of long-term conditions with mobile devices: a systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses
Gavan, S., Payne, K., Dixon, W., Van Der Veer, S., Tam, A. C. T. & Bansback, N., 24 Oct 2025, In: npj Digital Medicine. 8, 1, 625.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
Assembling the Data Jigsaw: Powering robust population research in MSK disease
Dixon, W., Brown, B. C., Clarkson, P., Dowding, D., Holm, S., Humphreys, J., Jani, M., Lunt, M., Mcbeth, J., Nenadic, G., Peek, N., Sanders, C., Sharp, C., van der Veer, S., Cook, L. & Mackey, E., 25 Sept 2025, (Unpublished) 54 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Other report

File
192 Downloads (Pure)

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4 Active
15 Finished

Health Research from Home: advancing population research using smartphones and wearables
Dixon, W. (PI) & Van Der Veer, S. (CoI)
1/11/23 → 31/10/26
Project: Research
Transforming outpatient consultations by integrating regular symptom tracking by patients into the electronic health record
Dixon, W. (PI), Arden Armitage, C. (CoI), Bower, P. (CoI), Dowding, D. (CoI), Mcbeth, J. (CoI), Parkes, M. (CoI), Sanders, C. (CoI), Sharp, C. (CoI), Van Der Veer, S. (CoI) & Wilson, P. (CoI)
1/10/21 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
Harnessing digital data to improve the benefit:harm balance of opioids for non-cancer pain
Jani, M. (PI), Barton, A. (CoI), Dixon, W. (CoI) & Peek, N. (CoI)
1/09/21 → 30/11/27
Project: Research
Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis.
Dixon, W. (PI), Bruce, I. (CoI), Felson, D. (CoI), Hyrich, K. (CoI), Lunt, M. (CoI), Mcbeth, J. (CoI), Mcdonagh, J. (CoI), O'Neill, T. (CoI), Sergeant, J. (CoI), Verstappen, S. (CoI) & Serafimova, I. (Support team)
1/08/18 → 31/07/26
Project: Research
Centre for Biological Timing
Lucas, R. (PI), Bechtold, D. (PI), Fustin, J.-M. (PI), Ashe, H. (PI), Brown, T. (PI), Blaikley, J. (PI), Brass, A. (PI), Chandola, T. (PI), Durrington, H. (PI), Else, K. (PI), Hepworth, M. (PI), Hunter, L. (PI), Kadler, K. (PI), Kitchen, G. (PI), Loudon, A. (PI), Macdonald, A. (PI), Mcbeth, J. (PI), Milosavljevic, N. (PI), Rattray, M. (PI), Rutter, M. (PI), Sharrocks, A. (PI), Spiller, D. (PI), Storchi, R. (PI), Belle, M. (PI), Meng, Q.-J. (PI), Allen, A. (PI), Dixon, W. (PI), Gibbs, J. (PI), Hazel, A. (PI), Papalopulu, N. (PI), Ray, D. (PI), White, M. (PI), Chang, J. (PI), Bano Otalora, B. (CoI), Zavala, E. (PI), Orlowska-Feuer, P. (PI) & Didikoglu, A. (PI)
Project: Research

Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health (FBMH) Hero: Academic Freedom
Dixon, W. (Recipient), Sept 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Linacre Lecture
Dixon, W. (Recipient), 2014
Prize: Other distinction
Outstanding Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year
Dixon, W. (Recipient), 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Patients as Partners award winner, ‘Enabling Patients with Technology’
Dixon, W. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)

9 Invited talk
1 Membership of committee
1 Visiting an external academic institution

Digital Patient-Generated Health Data: Opportunities for Pharmacoepidemiology
Dixon, W. (Speaker)
26 Aug 2024
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Teaching and Research
Symptom tracking integrated into clinical care
Dixon, W. (Speaker)
17 May 2024
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
Boston University
Dixon, W. (Secondee)
12 Jul 2022 → 14 Jul 2022
Activity: External visiting positions or secondments › Visiting an external academic institution › Research
Smartphones to support clinical care and research
Dixon, W. (Speaker)
5 Apr 2022
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
Are registers worth it?
Dixon, W. (Speaker)
Sept 2021
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research

Biologics registers for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: enhancing access to novel therapies and balancing drug safety concerns versus effectiveness
Hyrich, K. (Participant), Bruce, I. (Participant), Griffiths, C. (Participant), Warren, R. (Participant), Symmons, D. (Participant), Ashcroft, D. (Participant), Dixon, W. (Participant), Lunt, M. (Participant), Yiu, Z. (Participant) & Mercer, L. (Participant)
Impact: Health and wellbeing
Improving treatment outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Symmons, D. (Participant), Silman, A. (Participant), Hyrich, K. (Participant), Lunt, M. (Participant), Dixon, W. (Participant) & Verstappen, S. (Participant)
Impact: Health impacts, Societal impacts, Economic impacts
REMORA as case study in NHSx's Rheumatology Digital Playbook
Dixon, W. (Participant)
Impact: Awareness and understanding, Technological, Health and wellbeing

BBC World Service: Tech Life
Dixon, W.
22/04/26
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
Can the weather affect your health?
Dixon, W.
7/02/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
BBC presenter on why cold weather makes his body hurt
Dixon, W.
7/01/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
App to track symptoms would lead to better NHS care
Dixon, W. & Van Der Veer, S.
5/08/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
'App to track symptoms would lead to better NHS care'
Dixon, W. & Van Der Veer, S.
5/08/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research

William Dixon

Personal profile

Overview

Memberships of committees and professional bodies

Qualifications

External positions

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

Keywords

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

Fingerprint

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Dive into details

Comparative Risk of Delirium Among Opioid Users for Non-Cancer Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Current methods for analyzing time-series patient-generated health data to assess treatment response: a scoping review

Perspectives on remote monitoring technology of South Asians living with a long-term condition in the United Kingdom: a qualitative study

Active remote monitoring of long-term conditions with mobile devices: a systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses

Assembling the Data Jigsaw: Powering robust population research in MSK disease

Health Research from Home: advancing population research using smartphones and wearables

Transforming outpatient consultations by integrating regular symptom tracking by patients into the electronic health record

Harnessing digital data to improve the benefit:harm balance of opioids for non-cancer pain

Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis.

Centre for Biological Timing

Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health (FBMH) Hero: Academic Freedom

Linacre Lecture

Outstanding Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year

Patients as Partners award winner, ‘Enabling Patients with Technology’

Digital Patient-Generated Health Data: Opportunities for Pharmacoepidemiology

Symptom tracking integrated into clinical care

Boston University

Smartphones to support clinical care and research

Are registers worth it?

Biologics registers for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: enhancing access to novel therapies and balancing drug safety concerns versus effectiveness

Improving treatment outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

REMORA as case study in NHSx's Rheumatology Digital Playbook

BBC World Service: Tech Life

Can the weather affect your health?

BBC presenter on why cold weather makes his body hurt

App to track symptoms would lead to better NHS care

'App to track symptoms would lead to better NHS care'

William Dixon

Personal profile

Overview

Memberships of committees and professional bodies

Qualifications

External positions

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

Keywords

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

Fingerprint

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Research output

Projects

Prizes

Activities

Impacts

Press/Media