Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre Biomedical Research Unit Overview
The Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre Biomedical Research Unit (NDDC BRU) has a mission to take the most promising basic biomedical research breakthroughs and translate them into patient benefit. We focus on the first stage of introducing new treatments, tests and clinical management strategies to volunteer patients and on using blood and tissue samples from patients to perform clinically-relevant basic biomedical research.
Our research concentrates on the themes of infections and post infectious consequences in the GI tract and liver. Some specific areas include:
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Clostridium difficile infection
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Surgical and wound Infections, including MRSA
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Hepatitis C virus infection and its complications including liver cirrhosis
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Helicobacter pylori infection, peptic ulceration and gastric cancer
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Other GI infections including Campylobacter jejuni
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Diverticular Disease
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Colonic inflammation and polyposis
As well as Clinical Researchers in the School of Clinical Sciences, the membership of the BRU includes some of the best researchers in the nationally first-rated School of Pharmacy, the Sir Peter Mansfield MRI Imaging Centre and many Microbiologists and Virologists from the School of Molecular Medicine and The School of Biosciences.
The NDDC BRU aims to provides
A central facility for patient based translational research. This is currently being built next to our in-patient wards for gastroenterology, liver and surgical patients in the QMC. Meanwhile, the staff are based in accommodation provided by The Trust and University.
Staff dedicated to patient based translational research. As well as research leaders, the BRU specifically funds a cadre of skilled Research Nurses, Research Technicians dealing with tissue and blood samples, Administrative and Secretarial Staff, Clinical Trials Experts, Research Facilitators and a Database Manager.
Registers of volunteer patients with specific diseases and collections of blood, tissue and pathogens for translational research.
An integrated Translational Research Training Programme for PhD and MD students in partnership with the other BRU’s and The School of Clinical Sciences.