Saving lives through pioneering research - University of Birmingham

Research at Birmingham has already delivered major healthcare advances, including organ transplants, the pacemaker, vitamin C and much more.

Birmingham’s recent breakthroughs financially supported by alumni and friends of the University include:

A better test for bladder cancer, which is non-invasive and can tell what stage the cancer is at
A treatment for blood loss during childbirth that could save a mother’s life for just 24 pence
The largest ever UK surgical trial, to make future operations safer by reducing the number of post-surgery infections
First new treatment found for rare bone cancer in over a decade for Ewing sarcoma, a bone and soft tissue cancer that primarily affects children and young adults
A simple swap that cuts the risk of colon cancer returning within two years by 28% improving treatment options for the 5,000 colon cancer patients in the UK and hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide

The medical research we do in our labs at Birmingham plays a major part in the treatment of today’s major global health challenges. From cancer vaccines to making surgery safer, my colleagues and I at Birmingham are driving life-changing advances.
Dr Shivan Sivakumar

An example of Birmingham's research: Andrew Beggs' bowel cancer research

Professor of Cancer Genetics and Surgery, Andrew Beggs talks about the impact of philanthropy on his research, what it has allowed the team to do and how it can transform the lives of the patients.

Your support through Birmingham Gives on 19 and 20 June 2025 could enable researchers at Birmingham to make the next big breakthrough.

How you can get involved

Find out more about Birmingham Gives.