Research

UCL is an academic powerhouse: it has the largest biomedical research portfolio in the UK and is a world leader in many fields. Its grant income totals some £100 million per annum. UCL’s biomedical research is undertaken across a complex web of Faculties,  Schools and NHS Trusts.

The purpose of the UCLPartners Research Programme is to harness this immense research strength, not only in biomedicine but across the physical and social sciences, to improve the health of the population. To achieve this, we are helping further strengthen the core science base of UCL. We are also ensuring maximal synergies between UCL’s internal structures and its external partners – so stimulating research pathways from basic innovation through to population health gain.

The Programme has three specific goals.

1. Broaden the activities of Biomedical Research Centres

UCL Partners is unique in hosting three NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), attracting an estimated £30 million per annum to experimental medicine. These are based at UCLH, Moorfields and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), each in partnership with UCL. These Centres bring preclinical findings into early clinical studies and are the flagship NIHR activities of UCLPartners: their continual growth and interaction are essential to achieve our aims. Our goal is to expand the BRC activities to a wider UCLPartners group, within the criteria set out by NIHR. We also aim to increase the number of NIHR Senior Investigators within the partnership.

2. Increase industrial investment and partnership for research

The Programme aims to use the intellectual capital embedded within UCLPartners to attract new partnerships with the commercial sector to enable a speedier translation of invention into population benefit. These partnership involve not only pharmaceutical products, but also diagnostics and devices.  To make this possible, we are developing initiatives such as the Therapeutic Innovation Centre in Cell Therapy. We plan to develop a UCLPartners Industry Portal to facilitate appropriate interaction.

3. Increase clinical trial recruitment

We believe that it is unethical not to engage the population in clinical research to provide an evidence base for improved clinical care. The Programme is therefore developing a number of structures to enhance the ability of partner organisations, both individually and collectively to engage their patients in studies. This will be facilitated by widening the role of both the UCLPartners Research Support Unit and the UCL Clinical Trials Unit.

For more information, please contact Professor Deenan Pillay, Director of Research at UCLPartners.