UCL in the News: London to lead in medical research

Gordon Brown's announcement to sell land to the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, The Wellcome Trust and UCL has secured a plan to create the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation, which will meet his agenda for science, which emphasises "translational" research to turn advances into drugs and therapies.

In this way the Government has thrown its weight behind a world leading medical research partnership that will bring together up to 1,500 leading scientists and support staff on a site that will cost £85 million, another £350 million to build laboratories and tens of millions more to equip with state of the art facilities. …

The Prime Minister said: "We strongly support plans to create Europe's leading centre for medical research in the heart of London. It will maintain Britain's position at the forefront of global medical research, strengthen the UK economy and, through its links with the NHS, has huge potential to change patients' lives.

"By taking groundbreaking scientific discoveries right through to treatment, I expect that the 1,500 staff who will be part of this project will develop many of the cures, vaccines and drugs from which the NHS and its patients will benefit in years to come." …

The partners hope that the new centre will maintain the UK's place at the forefront of international medical research. …

The president and provost of UCL, Malcolm Grant said: "Our involvement builds on UCL's role as one of Europe's largest and most productive centres for biomedical science and we are confident it will further and enhance the innovative research that already goes on here and with our partner hospitals." …

Roger Highfield, 'The Daily Telegraph'