Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre

The Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre (BDRC) at the Institute of Child Health, University College London brings together world-class scientists in state-of-the-art facilities to create a centre of excellence to address one of the major causes of infant mortality and childhood disability in the western world.

Birth defects are a leading cause of infant mortality in the western world. One in every 40 pregnancies in Europe is affected by a birth defect, of which there are more than 4,000 types. Some of the commoner birth defects include spina bifida, congenital heart defects, congenital deaf-blindness, cleft lip & palate and Down's syndrome.

The goals at the BDRC are to:

• Provide a centre of excellence for genetics and developmental biology research into clinically important birth defects.
• Enhance the translation of research findings into new diagnostics and therapies for patient benefit, and assess outcomes on a population level.
• Train the next generation of birth defect research investigators, and engage widely with both specialists and non-specialists on advances in this field.