Lecturer
Computing Science Room 4B126, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA
I am a Lecturer in the Division of Computing Science and Mathematics at the University of Stirling and a member of the Data Science and Intelligent Systems research group. My research interests relate to the development and application of statistical methodology to a range of subject domains including health and social sciences, bio-sciences and environmental sciences. Prior to joining the University of Stirling I was a Lecturer in Statistics at the University of Abertay (from 2007 to 2016) and a Senior Statistician in the School of Medicine at the University of Dundee (from 2016 to 2019).
My current research is in the area of statistics and health informatics with main interest in the development and application of methods for record-linkage and analysis of longitudinal healthcare routine data and the design and analysis of clinical trials for public health intervention studies. I am particularly interested in the development and application of multivariate and multi-level modelling methods , survival analysis and data-mining methods for disease diagnosis and treatment response or prediction of disease course.
The unprecedented availability of individual-level health and social care data makes it now possible for the discovery of key success factors, which can be used to inform policy makers towards the development of an integrated strategy for the health and social care services to enable the most efficient use of resources and help cope with the burden of diseases in the society.
Recent collaborations include the NIHR funded OPRAA study (Older Persons Routine Acute Assessment ) looking to understand the outcomes of people with dementia, delirium and unspecified cognitive impairment following an acute hospital admission (led by University of Stirling), a CSO funded project investigating associations between anti-dementia medication and mortality in people with dementia; and the Biomarker Enterprise to Attack Diabetic Kidney Disease (BEAT-DKD), a European funded project aiming to identify predictive biomarkers for the development and progression of Diabetes Kidney Disease (led by University of Dundee)
Challenges young people face in managing musculoskeletal chronic pain
PI: Dr Line Caes
Funded by: The Nuffield Foundation
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Discovery of clinical biomarkers for the prediction of delirium in older people admitted to the acute hospital
PI: Dr Simona Hapca
Funded by: Tenovus Scotland
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Article
Farrell CM, McNeilly AD, Hapca S, Fournier PA, Jones TW, Facchinetti A, Cappon G, West DJ & McCrimmon RJ (2024) High intensity interval training as a novel treatment for impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia in people with type 1 diabetes (HIT4HYPOS): a randomised parallel-group study. Diabetologia, 67, pp. 392-402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-023-06051-x
Article
Rajendrakumar AL, Hapca SM, Nair ATN, Huang Y, Chourasia MK, Kwan RS, Nangia C, Siddiqui MK, Vijayaraghavan P, Matthew SZ, Leese GP, Mohan V, Pearson ER, Doney ASF & Palmer CNA (2023) Competing risks analysis for neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of diabetic retinopathy incidence in the Scottish population. BMC Medicine, 21, Art. No.: 304. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-023-02976-7
Article
Wang H, Cordiner RLM, Huang Y, Donnelly L, Hapca S, Collier A, McKnight J, Kennon B, Gibb F, McKeigue P, Wild SH, Colhoun H, Chalmers J, Petrie J & Sattar N (2023) Cardiovascular Safety in Type 2 Diabetes With Sulfonylureas as Second-line Drugs: A Nationwide Population-Based Comparative Safety Study. Diabetes Care, 46 (5), pp. 967-977. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-1238
Article
Zhou Y, Huang H, Yan X, Hapca S, Bell S, Qu F, Liu L, Chen X, Zhang S, Shi Q, Zeng X, Wang M, Li N, Du H & Meng W (2022) Glycated Haemoglobin A1c Variability Score Elicits Kidney Function Decline in Chinese People Living with Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11 (22), Art. No.: 6692. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11226692
Article
Heterogeneity in phenotype, disease progression and drug response in type 2 diabetes
Nair ATN, Wesolowska-Andersen A, Brorsson C, Rajendrakumar AL, Hapca S, Gan S, Dawed AY, Donnelly LA, McCrimmon R, Doney ASF, Palmer CNA, Viswanathan M, Anjana RM, Hattersley AT, Dennis JM & Pearson ER (2022) Heterogeneity in phenotype, disease progression and drug response in type 2 diabetes. Nature Medicine, 28, pp. 982-988. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01790-7
Article
Effect of multiple episodes of acute kidney injury on mortality: an observational study
Walker H, De Souza N, Hapca S, Witham MD & Bell S (2021) Effect of multiple episodes of acute kidney injury on mortality: an observational study. Clinical Kidney Journal, 14 (2), pp. 696-703. https://doi.org/10.1093/ckj/sfz199
Article
The Relationship between AKI and CKD in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: An Observational Cohort Study
Hapca S, Siddiqui MK, Kwan RSY, Lim M, Matthew S, Doney ASF, Pearson ER, Palmer CNA & Bell S (2021) The Relationship between AKI and CKD in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: An Observational Cohort Study. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 32 (1), pp. 138-150. https://doi.org/10.1681/asn.2020030323
Article
Duncan ADS, Hapca S, De Souza N, Morales D & Bell S (2020) Quinine exposure and the risk of acute kidney injury: a population-based observational study of older people. Age and Ageing, 49 (6), pp. 1042-1047. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaa079
Letter
Farrell CM, McNeilly AD, Hapca SM & McCrimmon RJ (2020) Real-time Continuous Glucose Monitoring During a Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemic Clamp Significantly Underestimates the Degree of Hypoglycemia. Diabetes Care, 43 (10), pp. e142-e143. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-0882
Article
Farrell CM, McNeilly AD, Fournier P, Jones T, Hapca SM, West D & McCrimmon RJ (2020) A randomised controlled study of high intensity exercise as a dishabituating stimulus to improve hypoglycaemia awareness in people with type 1 diabetes: a proof-of-concept study. Diabetologia, 63 (4), pp. 853-863. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-019-05076-5
Article
Li S, Nemeth I, Donnelly L, Hapca S, Zhou K & Pearson ER (2020) Visit-to-Visit HbA1c Variability Is Associated With Cardiovascular Disease and Microvascular Complications in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 43 (2), pp. 426-432. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc19-0823
Article
Hapca S, Burton JK, Cvoro V, Reynish E & Donnan PT (2019) Are antidementia drugs associated with reduced mortality after a hospital emergency admission in the population with dementia aged 65 years and older?. Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, 5, pp. 431-440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trci.2019.07.011
Article
Juyal A, Otten W, Falconer R, Hapca S, Schmidt H, Baveye PC & Eickhorst T (2019) Combination of techniques to quantify the distribution of bacteria in their soil microhabitats at different spatial scales. Geoderma, 334, pp. 165-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.07.031
Article
Burton JK, Guthrie B, Hapca SM, Cvoro V, Donnan PT & Reynish EL (2018) Living at home after emergency hospital admission: prospective cohort study in older adults with and without cognitive spectrum disorder. BMC Medicine, 16 (1), Art. No.: 231. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1199-z
Article
Hapca S, Guthrie B, Cvoro V, Bu F, Rutherford A, Reynish E & Donnan PT (2018) Mortality in people with dementia, delirium, and unspecified cognitive impairment in the general hospital: prospective cohort study of 6,724 patients with 2 years follow-up. Clinical Epidemiology, 10, pp. 1743-1753. https://doi.org/10.2147/clep.s174807
Article
Crombie IK, Irvine L, Williams B, Sniehotta FF, Petrie D, Jones C, Norrie J, Evans JMM, Emslie C, Rice PM, Slane PW, Humphris G, Ricketts IW, Melson AJ, Donnan PT & Hapca SM (2018) Texting to Reduce Alcohol Misuse (TRAM): main findings from a randomized controlled trial of a text message intervention to reduce binge drinking among disadvantaged men. Addiction, 113 (9), pp. 1609-1618. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14229
Article
Baveye PC, Otten W, Kravchenko A, Balseiro-Romero M, Beckers E, Chalhoub M, Darnault C, Eickhorst T, Garnier P, Hapca S, Kiranyaz S, Monga O, Mueller CW, Nunan N & Pot V (2018) Emergent Properties of Microbial Activity in Heterogeneous Soil Microenvironments: Different Research Approaches Are Slowly Converging, Yet Major Challenges Remain. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, Art. No.: 1929. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01929
Article
Cibati A, Foereid B, Bissessur A & Hapca S (2017) Assessment of Miscanthus × giganteus derived biochar as copper and zinc adsorbent: Study of the effect of pyrolysis temperature, pH and hydrogen peroxide modification. Journal of Cleaner Production, 162, pp. 1285-1296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.114
Article
Houston A, Otten W, Falconer R, Monga O, Baveye P & Hapca S (2017) Quantification of the pore size distribution of soils: Assessment of existing software using tomographic and synthetic 3D images. Geoderma, 299, pp. 73-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.03.025
Article
Reynish E, Hapca SM, De Souza N, Cvoro V, Donnan PT & Guthrie B (2017) Epidemiology and outcomes of people with dementia, delirium, and unspecified cognitive impairment in the general hospital: prospective cohort study of 10,014 admissions. BMC Medicine, 15 (1), Art. No.: 140. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0899-0
Article
Schnee LS, Knauth S, Hapca S, Otten W & Eickhorst T (2016) Analysis of physical pore space characteristics of two pyrolytic biochars and potential as microhabitat. Plant and Soil, 408 (1-2), pp. 357-368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2935-9
Article
Hapca SM, Baveye PC, Wilson C, Lark RM & Otten W (2015) Three-Dimensional Mapping of Soil Chemical Characteristics at Micrometric Scale by Combining 2D SEM-EDX Data and 3D X-Ray CT Images. PLoS ONE, 10 (9), Art. No.: e0137205. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0137205
Article
Wilson MJ, Digweed AJ, Brown J, Ivanonva ES & Hapca SH (2015) Invasive slug pests and their parasites - temperature responses and potential implications of climate change. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 51 (6), pp. 739-748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-015-1022-3
Article
Reverse engineering of biochar
Morales VL, Pérez-Reche FJ, Hapca SM, Hanley KL, Lehmann J & Zhang W (2015) Reverse engineering of biochar. Bioresource Technology, 183, pp. 163-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.02.043
Article
Predicting the minimum liquid surface tension activity of pseudomonads expressing biosurfactants
Mohammed IU, Deeni Y, Hapca SM, McLaughlin K & Spiers AJ (2015) Predicting the minimum liquid surface tension activity of pseudomonads expressing biosurfactants. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 60 (1), pp. 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/lam.12331
Article
Beckers E, Plougonven E, Roisin C, Hapca S, Léonard A & Degré A (2014) X-ray microtomography: A porosity-based thresholding method to improve soil pore network characterization?. Geoderma, 219-220, pp. 145-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.01.004
Article
New Local Thresholding Method for Soil Images by Minimizing Grayscale Intra-Class Variance
Hapca SM, Houston AN, Otten W & Baveye PC (2013) New Local Thresholding Method for Soil Images by Minimizing Grayscale Intra-Class Variance. Vadose Zone Journal, 12 (3), pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2012.0172
Article
Houston AN, Schmidt S, Tarquis AM, Otten W, Baveye PC & Hapca SM (2013) Effect of scanning and image reconstruction settings in X-ray computed microtomography on quality and segmentation of 3D soil images. Geoderma, 207-208, pp. 154-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.05.017
Article
Effects of different soil structures on the decomposition of native and added organic carbon
Juarez S, Nunan N, Duday A, Pouteau V, Schmidt S, Hapca S, Falconer R, Otten W & Chenu C (2013) Effects of different soil structures on the decomposition of native and added organic carbon. European Journal of Soil Biology, 58, pp. 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2013.06.005
Article
Houston A, Otten W, Baveye P & Hapca S (2013) Adaptive-window indicator kriging: A thresholding method for computed tomography images of porous media. Computers & Geosciences, 54, pp. 239-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2012.11.016
Article
Hapca S, Wang ZX, Otten W, Wilson C & Baveye P (2011) Automated statistical method to align 2D chemical maps with 3D X-ray micro-tomography images of soils. Geoderma, 164 (3-4), pp. 146-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.05.018
Article
Modelling and quantifying the effect of heterogeneity in soil physical conditions on fungal growth
Pajor R, Falconer RE, Hapca SM & Otten W (2010) Modelling and quantifying the effect of heterogeneity in soil physical conditions on fungal growth. Biogeosciences, 7 (11), pp. 3731-3740. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-3731-2010
Article
Kruitbos LM, Heritage S, Hapca S & Wilson MJ (2010) The influence of habitat quality on the foraging strategies of the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis megidis. Parasitology, 137 (2), pp. 303-309. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182009991326
Article
MacMillan K, Haukeland S, Rae R, Young I, Crawford J, Hapca S & Wilson M (2009) Dispersal patterns and behaviour of the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita in mineral soils and organic media. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41 (7), pp. 1483-1490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.04.007
Article
Hapca S, Crawford JW & Young IM (2009) Anomalous diffusion of heterogeneous populations characterized by normal diffusion at the individual level. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 6 (30), pp. 111-122. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2008.0261
Article
Modelling nematode movement using time-fractional dynamics
Hapca S, Crawford JW, MacMillan K, Wilson MJ & Young IM (2007) Modelling nematode movement using time-fractional dynamics. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 248 (1), pp. 212-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2007.05.002
Article
Hapca S, Crawford J, Rae R, Wilson M & Young I (2007) Movement of the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita in the presence of mucus from the host slug Deroceras reticulatum. Biological Control, 41 (2), pp. 223-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2007.01.005
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with experience in HE curriculum development and teaching as well as experience with MSc and PhD supervision.
