Major award to benefit rheumatology students

An award of £581,025 from the Oliver Bird Fund is to finance a doctoral training programme for UCL students interested in musculoskeletal disease.

The university is one of just five UK institutions to benefit from the prestigious award, which will finance a four-year training programme for five doctorate students conducting rheumatic disease research.

Administered by the Nuffield Foundation, the fund supports research into the prevention and treatment of rheumatism. Professor David Isenberg, Academic Director of UCL's Centre for Rheumatology, who is the principal investigator, will be working with several colleagues - including Professor Michael Horton, Professor Pat Woo, Professor Mark Pepys and Dr Tim Skerry - to use the funds to implement a comprehensive programme. This program will encompass five UCL centres conducting research into interacting factors - such as hormones, infection, environment and genes - that cause bone and joint disease.

The students will spend time at UCL's Royal Free Medical School, Bone & Mineral Centre, Institute of Child Health and Centre for Rheumatology, and at the Royal Veterinary College.

Professor Isenberg said: "Our approach to arthritis research seeks to improve our understanding of the various causes of arthritis in order that we may move more effectively from the laboratory to the bedside. The Oliver Bird Fund rheumatism programme is a fantastic opportunity for young researchers guided by our talented, established investigators to combine their ideas, and for collaboration between several centres for excellence. It is a very exciting time to be in rheumatology."

To find out more about the centre or the fund, use the links below.

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Links:
UCL's Centre for Rheumatology
Oliver Bird Fund