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UCL recipients of NIHR professorships announced
15 February 2012
Two UCL professors are among eight of the UK's most promising leaders in medical health research to be awarded a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) professorship, the Government announced today.
Each professor will receive around £1.5m of funding to conduct research into
conditions that affect millions of patients across the UK.
Professors Anne Schilder (UCL Ear Institute) and James Bainbridge (UCL
Institute of Ophthalmology) are each receiving funding towards research
projects.
Professor Schilder's work will look at leading a programme of clinical trials
across the UK to test and evaluate new and current treatments in ear, nose and
throat (ENT) problems, such as dizziness, hearing loss and sinus and ear
infections.
Professor Schilder said: "I think it's fantastic that the NIHR has recognised
the importance of improving our understanding of ENT conditions and how best to
treat them. The grant will enable me and my team to establish this research
programme and increase the capacity to generate research-based evidence that
will help patients benefit from the very best treatments in the field."
The majority of people with sight impairment are affected by disorders of the
retina, which is the layer of light-sensitive nerves in the eye. Professor
Bainbridge aims to prevent blinding retinal diseases by developing effective
new treatments including gene and cell therapies.
Professor Bainbridge said: "This award from the NIHR provides an invaluable
opportunity to help translate scientific discoveries into new treatments for
the benefit of people with blinding eye disease. I am thrilled to have been
selected."
Health Minister Anne Milton said: "The professors will be given the opportunity
to develop their research programmes, but most importantly they won't stop
treating NHS patients. This will help make sure that new ideas make the leap
from the bench to the bedside.
"We want to see medical research advance, and to do that it is essential
that we nurture the very best researchers to the benefit of NHS patients."
The professors were selected by an international panel of independent experts.
The second round of the competition is also opening today, and the next group
of NIHR professors will be appointed later in the year.
Images: Professor Anne Schilder and Professor James Bainbridge.
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