Researcher profile

Christopher Collett Butler

I trained in Medicine at the University of Cape Town, did doctoral work at the University of Wales College of Medicine, and studied Clinical Epidemiology at The University of Toronto. I was appointed Professor of Primary Care in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford in 2013. My research focuses on common infections (especially the appropriate use of antimicrobials, antimicrobial resistance, point of care testing, and treatments for viral infections), and health care communication and behaviour change (co-author of Motivational Interviewing in Health Care). I am particularly interested in diagnostics and therapeutics research using innovative trial designs such as adaptive platform trials, and in ways in which people can contribute to trials research without having to leave home while sick. I am an emeritus NIHR Senior Investigator, and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. I was the patient-nominated Wales Royal College of General Practitioners GP of the year, 2019. I chaired the Prize Advisory Panel of the Longitude Prize. I have helped lead over 30 randomized controlled clinical trials in the community, and was co-Chief Investigator of the PRINCIPLE and PANORAMIC adaptive, platform, randomised controlled trials of community treatments for COVID 19, having recruited >40,000 participants and evaluated 9 medicines. These trials were awarded the Prix Galien for the best Public Sector Innovation in 2024. I lead for primary care in the European Clinical Research Alliance on Infectious Diseases (ECRAID) and co-coordinate the ECRAID Prime trial, which is the only multi-country adaptive platform trial of therapeutics for acute respiratory infections currently recruiting and adapting. ECRAID Prime is ‘mission critical’ to developing primary care research infrastructure across Europe and is an important pillar in the continent’s pandemic preparedness. I have supervised 19 doctoral students to successful completion and currently supervise 4 doctoral students. I have published >500 papers and led or helped lead ~30 randomised clinical trials, and have recently published trial results in the world’s top three general medical journals. My H-Index is ~86 (Google Scholar). Our PACE Study won the Royal College of General Practitioners Research Paper of the Year Award in 2020. I am or was Chief or Co-Chief investigator for the following current or recent studies: 1. European Clinical Research Alliance on Infectious Diseases – Primary care adaptive platform trial for pandemics and epidemics (ECRAID-PRIME) ( https://ecraid.eu/ecraid-prime-work-packages) 2. Platform Adaptive trial of Novel antiviRals for eArly treatment of COVID-19 in the Community (PANORAMIC) (https://www.panoramictrial.org) 3. Platform Community Clinical Trial of community treatment for epidemic and pandemic infections (PRINCIPLE) ( https://www.principletrial.org) 4. Platform randomised controlled trial of point of care diagnostics for enhancing the quality of antibiotic prescribing for community acquired acute respiratory tract infection in ambulatory care in Europe (PRUDENCE) (https://www.value-dx.eu/index.php/2020/06/26/evaluating-the-clinical-and-cost-effectiveness-of-ca-arti-diagnostics-through-prudence-trial/) 5. General Practitioner (GP) use of a C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Point of Care Test (POCT) to help target antibiotic prescribing to patients with Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) who are most likely to benefit (The PACE Study). 6. Antivirals for influenza Like Illness? An rCt of Clinical and Cost effectiveness in primary CarE (ALIC4E), which is part of the Platform foR European Preparedness Against (Re-)emerging Epidemics (PREPARE) consortium. 7. Probiotics to Reduce Infections iN Care homE reSidentS (PRINCESS). In 2024, I was awarded a Doctorate, Honoris Causa for or scientific merit, University of Antwerp (21.03.24) “Doctor Honoris Causa in Medicine and Health Sciences for making a fundamental contribution to primary care research into infectious disease management in the context of antimicrobial resistance and other pandemics, by building quintessential primary care research infrastructures and introducing efficient and democratic research models, which help reduce the impact of infectious diseases on individual and population health.”