Collaborations

Researchers at Newcastle University are involved in collaborations with other research teams. You can read more about these here.

The Cleft Collective

The Cleft Collective study is hosted by the University of Bristol. It investigates the biological and environmental causes of cleft, the best treatments for cleft and the psychological impact of cleft on those affected and their families. With the help of every cleft team in the UK, over 4,500 children and their families have been recruited into the study so far. Families are asked to contribute biological samples (such as saliva) and complete a number of questionnaires at important time points during their child’s development.

Find out more here: The Cleft Collective

Collaborations between Newcastle University and the Cleft Collective include:

CC080 Parental Mental Health of Children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate and Child Self-Perception of Their Cleft, in the Context of Additional Neurodevelopmental and Genetic Diagnoses A Collinson January 2026
CC079 Examining the Impact of Parental Mental Health and Stress on Social-Emotional Development in Children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate O Budka January 2026
CC077 The Trajectory of Communication Outcomes in Children with Robin Sequence (RS) Compared to isolated Cleft Palate (iCP) from 18-Months to 8-Years A Ka Myn Koo October 2025
CC057 Exploratory study to investigate the impact of sleep behaviour on language development in children with cleft lip and palate. S van Eeden December 2023
CC031 How are the early language skills of children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate assessed, and are these measures adequate?  S van Eeden November 2020
CC026 Assessing the listening skills of children with cleft lip and palate: a study using the Evaluation of Children’s Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPS) questionnaire. S van Eeden August 2020
CC022 Do infants born with cleft palate and Robin Sequence (RS) exhibit fewer communication behaviours compared to those with isolated cleft palate (ICP)? S Van Eeden March 2020

Cleft @ 18-23 study

Cleft @ 18-23 is a study hosted by the University of Bristol. It will run from 2024 to 2029. It investigates outcomes at the end of routine care for young adults born with a cleft of the lip or palate or both. We want to know if outcomes vary for individuals according to their ethnicity, sex, socio-economic status, health literacy and geography. The research programme is led by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust and the University of Bristol and is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The research will also determine how we can address any identified variation and ensure that all young adults have the same chance of achieving the best possible outcomes.

Read more about the study here: The Cleft@18-23 study

Dr Stephanie van Eeden is co-lead for work package one (Research Clinics) and for Patient and Public Involvement.

Outputs from this study are below:

Vadlamudi, A., van Eeden, S., Spry, J., Roosbey, A., Baxter, E., Leary, S. & Wren, Y. (2025) The Cleft@18-23 Study Research Clinics: a protocol for a multicentre cross-sectional cohort study across UK cleft centres. BMJ Open, e106527. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-106527

van Eeden, Vadlamudi, Spry, Humphries, Roosbey, Baxter, Leary & Wren (2025) Exploring variation in outcomes at end of care: a protocol for a multicentre cross-sectional cohort study across UK cleft centres. 15th International Cleft and Craniofacial Congress, Kyoto, Japan.