About us

Abstract blue image with lights connecting each other

Transforming healthcare through mathematical, computational and biomedical research. 

We bring together people with complementary expertise to enable breakthroughs for societal benefit. We achieve this through developing and applying quantitative and experimental methods to uncover the physiological processes underpinning health and how their disruption leads to disease. This personalised approach enables and supports diagnosis and management of a variety of chronic health conditions. 

The Centre was established in 2019 as a new strategic activity of the University of Birmingham spanning the School of Mathematics, the School of Computer Science and medicine. Housed within the Institute for Metabolism and Systems Research, our integration within the College of Medicine and Dental Sciences presents unique opportunities for us to engage and involve these communities throughout the lifecycle of our work. 

Our work is focused around our four core values of Excellence, Partnership, Innovation & Community.  

Excellence – in research and education

We value basic and translational research equally, supporting members of our team to follow their curiosity and fulfil their potential within an interdisciplinary environment that reaches the highest standards of academic rigour. Our staff contribute to education across the Schools of Mathematics, Computer Science, and the College of Medicine and Dental Sciences. 

Partnership – stakeholder engagement and co-creation.

We recognise that for our work to be truly impactful we must continue to pioneer new ways of working that bring partners together to address current and future research priorities. We do this though our seedcorn projects in the Research Incubator and by building a unique ecosystem where Students, Researchers, Patients and the Public, Hospitals and Clinics, Philanthropists, Industry and Venture Capital, Policy Makers and Regulators can co-define and then solve research challenges for societal benefit. 

Innovation – in research and training innovators of the future.

We are a group of research innovators with backgrounds in mathematics, computer science, physics and biomedicine. Launching in September 2023, our MSc Biomedical Innovation programme is embedded within an exciting healthcare technologies ecosystem spanning the university, partner hospitals and the MedTech industry to develop innovators and entrepreneurs who have a real impact on society. 

Community – engagement with patients & the public and the Birmingham Health Partners ecosystem. 

We are passionate about involving the public in our research and ensuring that views and experience are valued. We recognise the important of involving people with lived experience of disease in shaping our research priorities and in finding novel ways of communicating our findings. If you would like to get involved, please contact Dr Caroline Gillette at c.d.t.gillett@bham.ac.uk  

Through our unique approach to career development, members of the Centre have sponsored or mentored 16 independently funded research fellows. Several have gone on to establish their own independent laboratories in Universities across the UK. At present we have four current or former MRC Fellowship holders in the team and an ERUK Emerging Leader Fellow. Would you like to be next? We are always eager to hear from people who want to join us and support our mission. 

Annual Report

Find out more about our recent work in the Annual Report 2022