DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by The Government News Network on 31 July 2008
Three new
Biomedical Research Units will be at the forefront of a £10
million drive to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as
heart disease, asthma and obesity, Public Health Minister, Dawn
Primarolo announced today.
The new NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) Biomedical
Research Units in Liverpool, London and Nottingham will focus on
"translational research" that will take advances in
basic medical research out of the laboratory and into the hospital
clinic - meaning patients will benefit more quickly from new
scientific breakthroughs.
The Units will work in major areas of ill-health and clinical
need which have traditionally received relatively limited amounts
of research funding: heart disease, gastrointestinal disease and
liver disease.
The new units will also help to ensure that the UK retains its
position at the top of the international league table for
biomedical research.
The new Biomedical Research Units will complement the existing
twelve NIHR Biomedical Research Units in Bristol, Leeds, London,
Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield and Southampton and the twelve NIHR
Biomedical Research Centres in London, Oxford, Cambridge,
Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. Together, these are among
the most outstanding centres of medical research in the world.
Each new Biomedical Research Unit will receive £3.4 million over
the next four years (representing a total investment of £10m),
enabling these smaller, but excellent, research groups to increase
significantly their ability to undertake translational research.
Dawn Primarolo said:
"People who suffer from illnesses such as heart disease,
gastrointestinal infections and pancreatic disease will really
benefit from these new NIHR Biomedical Research Units.
"The new funding will enable high quality research to
flourish in these small but excellent research groups and will
strengthen our drive to put the UK at the forefront of vital
health research, as well as enhancing the nation's
international reputation as a centre for excellence."
Professor Sally C. Davies, Director General of Research and
Development, Department of Health said:
"Each new NIHR Biomedical Research Unit is a partnership
between an NHS Trust and a university, which will enable some of
our best health researchers and clinicians to work together. I
believe the funding will really help to develop this
country's capacity to carry out translational research in
these key areas of unmet health need."
Notes to Editors
1. The Biomedical Research Units were selected by an
international expert selection panel, that was chaired by
Professor John Savill, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, and
employed an independent, transparent and objective process of
expert peer review.
2. The panel members were:
Professor Sir John Savill (Chair)
Vice Principal and Head of
the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, University of
Edinburgh
Professor Jan Carlstedt-Duke
Dean of Research, Karolinska
Institute, Sweden
Professor Garret FitzGerald
Director, Institute for
Translational Medicine & Therapeutics,
University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Professor Dermot Kelleher
Head of School of Medicine &
Vice Provost for Medical Affairs, Trinity College Dublin
In attendance
Professor Sally Davies
Director General for Research &
Development, Department of Health
Dr Russell Hamilton
Director, Research & Development,
Department of Health
3. List of new NIHR Biomedical Research Unit Awards:
NHS Organisation
University Partner
Priority Area
Barts & The London NHS Trust
Queen Mary, University of
London
Cardiovascular Disease
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
University of
Nottingham
Gastrointestinal (including Liver) Disease
Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS
Trust
University of Liverpool
Gastrointestinal (including
Liver) Disease
4. Further information about NIHR Biomedical Research Units
(including details of the twelve Units established on 1st April
2008) is available at http:
//www.nihr.ac.uk/infrastructure_biomedical_research_units.aspx.
5. To be successful, the NHS/University partnerships had to
demonstrate an international reputation for their basic medical
research in the priority areas and expertise and track-record in
translating that research into the clinic and ultimately
benefitting patients.
6. The research to be undertaken by the new NIHR Biomedical
Research Units will aim to improve diagnosis and/or treatment in
the following key areas:
* Heart failure
* Hypertension
* Acute myocardial
infarction
* Clostridium difficile infection
* Peptic
ulcers and dyspepsia
* Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
*
Hepatitis C infection
* Pancreatitis
* Pancreatic cancer
7. Funding for the new Units will commence on 1st October 2008,
with each Unit receiving £3.375m over a period of three and a half
years.
8. The National Institute for Health Research provides the
framework through which the research staff and research
infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and
managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the
NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct
first-class research funded by the Government and its partners
alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its
aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and
collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and
university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs
of patients. More information about the National Institute for
Health Research is available on its website at: http://www.nihr.ac.uk.
9. The National Institute for Health Research's progress
report "Transforming Health Research the first two
years" can be downloaded from the NIHR website at: http://www.nihr.ac.uk/ab
out_progress_report.aspx.
ENDS
