PIONEERING medical research being carried out in Southampton is set to double following a multi-million-pound funding boost.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has announced that the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) will receive £25m over the next five years.
It represents an increase of around 80 per cent on the £14m awarded in 2017-2022.
The BRC is a long-established partnership between University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Southampton, which work together to turn scientific discoveries into new treatments.
Researchers say the latest investment will lead to improvements in areas such as microbiology and immunology.
Prof Mike Grocott, director designate of the Southampton BRC, said: "Southampton has a proven ability to translate research into benefits for patients, the health and care system and the broader economy.
"I am delighted the NIHR has recognised this and will dramatically increase our research capacity and capability in the coming years.
"We look forward to working with patients and other stakeholders in our local and regional communities to deliver on this great opportunity.”
David French, chief executive of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, added: "Pioneering research and innovation are vital to continuous improvement of patient care.
"This multi-million-pound investment opens a new chapter in our 50-year partnership with the university, helping to turn more discoveries into treatments."
Prof Mark Smith, vice-chancellor of the university, said: "We are extremely proud of our partnership with the trust.
"This significant increase in funding is a testament to the ground-breaking work taking place across our communities.
“Our interdisciplinary teams will continue to work together to improve diagnostics and treatments for patients in the UK and around the world.”
Research by NIHR biomedical research centres has resulted in ground-breaking treatments such as new gene therapies for haemophilia and motor neurone disease, a world-first treatment for Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, and a nose-drop vaccine for whooping cough.
It also led to the first UK-wide study into the long-term impact of Covid-19.
Prof Lucy Chappell, chief executive of the NIHR, said: "This latest round of funding recognises the strength of expertise underpinning health and care research across the country and gives our nation’s best researchers more opportunities to develop innovative new treatments for patients.”
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