NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre: £21 million research partnership launches

A £21 million National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) in Bristol will launch this week. The research centre, awarded to University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol) and the University of Bristol by the NIHR, will conduct cutting-edge research to develop new, ground-breaking treatments, diagnostics, prevention and care for patients in a wide range of diseases.

Led by John Iredale (Bristol Pro Vice Chancellor for Health) and Jonathan Sterne, NIHR Bristol BRC has research themes on:

• Cardiovascular Research led by Gianni Angelini
• Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle led by Andy Ness
• Mental Health led by David Gunnell
• Perinatal and Reproductive Health led by Debbie Lawlor
• Surgical Innovation led by Jane Blazeby

The research themes are underpinned by cross-cutting themes in:

• Translational Population Science led by George Davey Smith
• Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis and Informatics led by Jonathan Sterne

A strand of population health science runs through all themes of the BRC, with a focus on translating scientific discoveries that have arisen from population science into better care for NHS patients.

Professor John Iredale said:

“Bristol’s expertise in population health and clinical research, particularly in cardiac surgery, combined with our strong health partnerships will help our Biomedical Research Centre deliver tangible advances in patient care.”

Robert Woolley, chief executive of UH Bristol, said:

“This designation puts us in the ‘premier league’ in terms of biomedical research nationally. It is testimony to the special health research strengths that exist in Bristol and builds on the excellent track record of partnership between this Trust and the University of Bristol, ably supported by North Bristol Trust, Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Trust and the Avon Primary Care Research Collaborative.

“I am hugely excited by the opportunities we now share to design ground-breaking treatments and improvements in clinical care for the benefit of patients in future.”

For further information on NIHR Bristol BRC, please contact the Chief Operating Office, Hazel Phillips on [email protected].

Further information

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR is the research arm of the NHS. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research.

The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website (www.nihr.ac.uk)