Article

New biomedical research units announced

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