A state-of-the-art facility for research into immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and blood cancers at the University of Birmingham has been announced by Rt Hon George Osborne MP. The Chancellor of the Exchequer pledged an investment of over £230m to enhance the UK's clinical research infrastructure, which includes £7m to set up the West Midlands Stratified Medicine Innovation & Translation Facility.
A state-of-the-art facility for research into immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and blood cancers at the University of Birmingham was announced by Rt Hon George Osborne MP today.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer pledged an investment of over £230m to enhance the UK’s clinical research infrastructure, which includes £7m to set up the West Midlands Stratified Medicine Innovation & Translation Facility.
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (e.g. arthritis and liver disease) and blood cancers (e.g. leukaemia) are increasing in prevalence in the UK, partly as a consequence of an ageing population.
The programme will focus on the molecular study and characterisation of different cell types within each disease and the associated molecular changes in the patient. Researchers will develop and test the integration of multiple diagnostic methods, including mass cytometry, metabolic phenotyping and analysis of single cells.
The new insight into the mechanisms of how these diseases develop and progress, and their responsiveness to treatment, will drive innovative discoveries into clinical practice through the establishment of stratified diagnostics and targeted therapies.
David Adams, Dean of Medicine at the University of Birmingham and Director of Birmingham Health Partners explained, “This showcases how Birmingham has developed into a world class hub for interdisciplinary research. Bringing together the academic rigour and scientific excellence of the university with the clinical expertise and facilities at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), we are very much a place in which people want to invest.”
Tim Jones, Director of Delivery at UHB, added, “Birmingham is one of the few centres internationally that can deliver the full circle of translational medicine. The collaboration between the university and Trust ensures that our research projects can more quickly deliver findings that can, ultimately, improve patient treatments and outcomes.”
The Institute of Translational Medicine, set to open in June 2015, will be home to much of the research.
