Friday, 14 October 2022
£23.3m investment in world-leading in research in Nottingham has been announced today (14 October 2022).
The funding, awarded by the National Institute for Health & Social Care Research (NIHR), will mean the development of new treatments for common illnesses like asthma, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, depression and arthritis will be accelerated through the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre over the next five years.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive of the NIHR, said: “Research by NIHR Biomedical Research Centres has led to a number of ground-breaking new treatments, such as new gene therapies for haemophilia and motor neurone disease, the world-first treatment for Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a nose-drop vaccine for whooping cough, and the first UK-wide study into the long-term impact of COVID-19.
“This latest round of funding recognises the strength of expertise underpinning health and care research across the country and gives our nation’s best researchers more opportunities to develop innovative new treatments for patients.”
Professor Ian Hall, Director of the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Nottingham, and a Respiratory Physician at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, explains how this funding will support vital new developments in treatments and medical technology for use in the NHS: “This is excellent news for our patients and for every patient living with some of the most common, but also the most debilitating health conditions in the UK today.
Professor Ian Hall - Director of the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Nottingham, and a Respiratory Physician at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
“In the last five years the research done by the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre has led to breakthrough treatments and diagnostics including our significant contributions to both COVID-19 and Long Covid research.
“This funding means that we will be able to find new solutions for people whose quality of life and life expectancy is significantly reduced by the impacts of mental health, respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver and musculoskeletal conditions as well as hearing loss. It will also significantly contribute to the development of Magnetic Resonance Imaging technologies for health, which is a cornerstone of our research programme in Nottingham”
The NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is led by internationally renowned scientists, researchers and clinicians from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, together with expertise from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and a number of NHS and academic partners across the East Midlands.
First established in 2017, the role of the Nottingham BRC is to take discoveries from scientists in Nottingham, and other, world-leading universities, and develop them into new drugs and medical technologies to improve patient care. Since its launch, researchers from the NIHR Nottingham BRC have published over 3,000 papers and helped build the research community of the future by supporting around 400 trainees. As well as the funding awarded by the NIHR, the Nottingham BRC has also brought in a further £182m of external funding to support research undertaken by its research teams in the last five years.
The NIHR Nottingham BRC focuses on health problems where there is the greatest international, national, and local need, where the city of Nottingham is already leading the world in research. Today’s funding will support research for the next five years in the following areas:
- respiratory disease;
- gastrointestinal and liver disease;
- hearing;
- mental health and technology;
- musculoskeletal, trauma, surgery and rehabilitation; and
- magnetic resonance and precision imaging.
The new funding will start in December 2022 and will be used in a five-year research programme taking place up to 2027.
Full details of the new research will be launched at the NIHR Nottingham BRC Conference on Thursday 17 November 2022. Reservations for the Conference are open now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/425649397807
Story credits
About the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre
The NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre is translating research into breakthrough treatments, new technologies and advanced medicines for common illnesses like asthma and arthritis.
Our research is led by internationally-renowned clinicians, scientists and academics working together to improve the health of our patients and our communities.
Our expertise in respiratory medicine and MRI is at the forefront of COVID-19 research for effective treatments and vaccines, as well as contributing to the world’s understanding of Coronavirus.
The NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and is a partnership between Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) and the University of Nottingham, working with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and NHS and academic partners across the East Midlands. It is based at NUH.
About the NIHR
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
- Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
- Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
- Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
- Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
- Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
- Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
More news…