Biomedical Forum launched
22 Jun 2007
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at King's and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust today launched its Biomedical Forum to showcase translational research and foster collaboration between scientists, clinicians, dentists and allied health professionals. The inaugural event brought together key figures from the BRC and culminated in a lecture by a leading international scientist.
The inaugural speaker was Professor Larry Turka, a leading nephrologist from the University of Pennsylvania, who is also a member of the Centre's External Scientific Advisory Board. His lecture, entitled Transplantation tolerance - moving the bench to the bedside, was introduced by Professor Graham Lord, Deputy Director of the BRC. In his lecture, which was well attended by staff from across the College and the Trust, Professor Turka talked about the basic scientific work being done in his lab that is being translated into advances in the treatment of patients undergoing kidney transplantation. He then took questions from a packed audience.
In December 2006, King's was successful in a joint bid with its partner NHS Trust and was awarded one of five Comprehensive NIHR Centres. The aim of this Department of Health initiative was to find leaders in scientific translation in order to accelerate new treatment and technologies for improving health and to boost the nation's international competitiveness in this area. King's is the only university to provide academic partnership in all three categories of research centre (Comprehensive, Specialist and Patient Safety and Service Quality).
The Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre at Guys' and St Thomas' and King's College London is led by Professor Richard Trembath (Director), Professor Graham Lord (Deputy Director) and Professor Charles Wolfe (Director of Trust R&D). The Centre is organised around seven main themes: Allergy and Asthma, Transplantation, Immunity and Infection, Dermatology, Atherosclerotic disease, Oral Health and Cancer. Other key areas of research that underpin these themes are Genetics, Imaging, Paediatrics, Health Services Research, Cell & Molecular Biophysics, Developmental Neurobiology and Age-Related Diseases.
Unique feature
The Biomedical Forum is a unique feature of the Comprehensive Centre, bringing together, every two weeks, senior investigators across disciplines, educators and representation from industry to constantly review opportunities for translation. The Forum will have specific relevance to the Centre's scientific themes and will also provide critical mentorship and training for the scientists and clinicians working in the Centre.
Professor Graham Lord who is also Director of Translational Research Development said: ‘The opportunity to perform world-class translational research for the benefit of patients has never been greater. The Centre and key features like the new Forum, which will enable a regular sharing of ideas and strategies nationally and internationally, put us in an excellent position to respond to this challenge.'
More information about the NIHR BRC is available on the BRC website.
You can also visit the story about the three NIHR Centres awarded to King's and its partner Trusts.
Notes to editors
King's College London
King's College London is the fourth oldest university in England with more than 13,700 undergraduates and nearly 5,600 graduate students in nine schools of study based at five London campuses. It is a member of the Russell Group: a coalition of the UK's major research-based universities. The College has had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level, and it has recently received an excellent result in its audit by the Quality Assurance Agency.
King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, international relations, medicine, nursing and the sciences, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.
King's is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings, with income from grants and contracts of more than £100 million, and has an annual turnover of more than £363 million.
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Guy's and St Thomas' provides ¾ million patient contacts in acute and specialist hospital services every year. As one of the biggest NHS Trusts in the UK, it employs over 9,000 staff. The Trust also works in partnership with the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Biomedical Sciences of King's College London and other Higher Education Institutes to deliver high quality education and research.
Further information
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