Institute of Child Health

The National Institute for Health Research, advised by an international panel of experts, has confirmed a further five years’ funding for the Biomedical Research Centre based at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UCL Institute of Child Health.  The award is of approximately £36 m and supports the only Biomedical Research Centre in the UK solely focussed on children. 

Commenting Dr Jane Collins, Chief Executive, said “This is fantastic news for our ability to translate research into the benefit of patients quickly and effectively."

"It helps reinforce our position as a leading institution worldwide in research into children’s health."

“Can I thank everyone who worked so hard to get the bid together and congratulate all of them on this success.”

Announcing awards across the country, Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies said:

“The National Institute for Health Research centres and units announced today have been selected because of the world class quality of their translational research. By focussing on translational research across a wide range of diseases, the centres and units will help pull new scientific discoveries into benefits for NHS patients. I believe they will make a significant impact on the health of the population.”

BRC Background Information

Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital NHS Trust (GOSH) and its academic partner, University College London’s Institute of Child Health (ICH) represent the largest grouping of biomedical research dedicated to children outside of North America. Our diverse patient population creates a unique environment and opportunity to translate basic research findings quickly and efficiently into medical practice to benefit patients. The specific aim of our BRC is to achieve this by developing and responding to new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments and apply these to children with the overall aim of improving health.

Over the next five years we will further develop our capacity for ‘Experimental Medicine’ by focusing on several key areas; these include efforts to understand the molecular basis of childhood disease, initiatives to develop new diagnostic and imaging modalities for diseases in children, initiating trials of new gene, stem and cellular therapies and evaluating original therapies for a broad range of childhood diseases.

Broader UCL successes

All three UCL-linked BRCs were funded, with colleagues at UCLH and Moorfields also receiving their BRC funding.  Commenting, Professor Malcolm Grant, UCL President and Provost, said: “The outcome of this grant process really is a fantastic success for UCL and our partner hospitals. I pay tribute to all those staff who were involved in the bids and who have made these initiatives the successes that they are.

The fact that we are a partner in four centres and units which will receive funding is testament to the strength of our links with UCLH, Moorfields and Great Ormond Street, and our ability to effectively combine medical research with clinical practice.

Contact information:

GOSH-ICH Press Office: 020 7239 3125
Email: Coxs@gosh.nhs.uk
For genuine and urgent out of hours call speak to switchboard on 020 7405 9200