Close
Working with industry is an important part of our research strategy at UCLH and UCL.
Joining forces in this way has enabled us to drive improvements in patient care through research.
Our work with industry involves hosting industry sponsored studies and strategic partnerships at UCLH and UCL, and collaborative research studies that we carry out with industry partners.
This work is supported by a range of supporting services and expertise including within the UCLH/UCL Joint Research Office, UCLH Clinical Research Facility, and a dedicated Translational Research Office at UCL.
Why do research at UCLH?
UCLH, situated in the heart of London’s knowledge quarter, is one the largest NHS trusts in the UK, and delivers first-class care and research.
As a world-leading NHS-university partnership at UCLH and UCL, we can offer industry partners:
- world-class scientific expertise including key leaders in disease areas
- support with identifying Principal Investigators for expressions of interest
- an excellent and capable research delivery workforce
- world-class infrastructure including a dedicated Clinical Research Facility for early phase studies
- one standardised capacity and capability process with transparent timelines and compatible with HRA requirements
- well supported services and expert support and technical services at UCLH, capable of delivering complex research protocols.
- Diverse patient populations
- unparalleled access to rare diseases via our specialist hospitals
- research support points of contact throughout the research life cycle including the opportunity for regular site-sponsor meetings to discuss escalations and strategic matters
- finally, we are dedicating efforts to ensuring that everyone has the chance to take part in research – no matter what their background.
Clinical specialties and infrastructure
It comprises 10 hospitals including specialist hospitals and services in cancer, neurology and infectious diseases.
It hosts the only dedicated Clinical Research Facility in the UK for early-phase neurology studies and are one of only two UK centres for proton-beam research.
Find out more about our hospitals.
Set up of Commercial studies at UCLH
Expressions of interest
We are fully supportive of sponsors and CROs sending new expressions of interest directly to UCLH and UCL researchers.
A list of Consultants working at UCLH can be found on the UCLH webpages. Sponsors and CRO’s interested in contacting cancer specific researchers are also able to contact the UCLH Cancer Clinical Trials Unit to share expressions of interest.
A list of current open studies including PIs and the studies’ specialities can be found through the public trials database at UCLH Find a Study.
Alternatively, expressions of Interest can be sent to: uclh.commercial-research@nhs.net.
Capacity and Capability
The main office for Capacity and Capability (C&C) (also referred to as AAC) assessments (site approvals) is the UCLH/UCL Joint Research Office (JRO). The Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (CCTU) at UCLH and the Clinical Research Facility (CRF) will also coordinate C&C for studies happening within their respective areas.
Where CDA’s are required they should be sent to the JRO, CCTU or the CRF (as applicable).
The set-up process for UCLH includes close collaboration and a single, standard procedure which includes finance, contracting, governance, and clinical support and technical departments. This includes imaging, pharmacy, nuclear medicine, pathology and information governance. This single and collaborative process can identify and respond to issues and adapt to study requirements.
UCLH is an active contributor to national initiatives to improve the delivery of research in the NHS – for instance the National Contract Value Review (NCVR), Health Research Authority requirements for site set-up and model contracts.
Read more about the requirements for set-up at UCLH, on the JRO Assess, Arrange and Confirm (AAC) pages
Innovations and Collaboration in research
At UCLH and UCL, we are innovating in the way we deliver research.
We are leaders in digital-enabled research – UCLH having in place a hospitals-wide electronic health record and a Clinical and Research Informatics Unit which provides us with the robust environment and infrastructure necessary for the analysis of clinical data.
We are trialling technology designed to improve research efficiency, and developing research based on ‘nudge randomisation’ – an innovation in trial design where clinicians are automatically prompted by an alert in the electronic health record to consider whether a patient may be suitable for a clinical trial.
We have rolled out research using novel trial designs where multiple interventions can be trialled at the same time – rather than one by one.
We are developing methodologies and partnerships for decentralised research – enabling our trials to take place outside of the hospital setting – for example through remote monitoring of research participants and trial follow up in the community and primary care.
UCL has a dedicated Translational Research Office, supported by our NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre which has specialist staff to develop scientific partnerships and collaborations with industry partners.
Single point of contact
If you are interested in working with UCLH and UCL, in the first instance please contact: uclh.commercial-research@nhs.net.