New centre co-led by UCL set to advance diagnostics development

Professor Jolene Skordis (UCL Institute for Global Health) will lead the project at UCL, which is supported by Research England, in close collaboration with researchers at the University of Manchester and the University of Kent.

The project, known as the Centre for Advanced Diagnostics Development (CADDA), aims to bridge the gap between academia, industry and clinicians.

Diagnostics are tests and procedures that help identify a patient's disease or condition. They are used in approximately 70% of clinical decision making and novel diagnostics have the ability to help transform human and animal health.

However, in the UK, the majority of companies developing diagnostics are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who often do not have access to the required knowhow and expertise, skills and technical capacity to develop diagnostics from innovation to market.

CADDA will help address this challenge by facilitating the coordinated development of diagnostics in England and the UK, supporting the transition of diagnostics technology, business development and data analysis from academic partners into SMEs and larger companies, and ultimately delivery into health and agricultural systems.

This will be achieved by fostering a community of practice with knowledge exchange and collaborative innovation at its core.

Professor Skordis said: “Rapid, accurate and lower-cost diagnostic tools are vital to the efficient working of health and agricultural systems.

“The UK is well positioned to be a global innovator in diagnostics development – sharing with, and learning from, our partners around the world to improve health and wellbeing.

“UCL is proud to partner with the Universities of Kent and Manchester on the delivery of this novel consortium.”

Co-Director of CADDA, Professor Mark Smales (University of Kent), said: “Through coalescing and harnessing the breadth of world class expertise in the UK across universities and research institutes, industry, SMEs, clinicians/end users, regulators and investors, we will be able to bring high quality innovative diagnostics faster to market; our medical community will be able to diagnose medical issues and save lives; and animal health and security will be enhanced.

“This will collectively provide wider societal and economic benefits to the UK.”

Links

• Professor Jolene Skordis's academic profile
• UCL Institute for Global Health
• UCL Population Health Sciences

Image

• Credit: Natali_Mis on iStock

Media contact 

Poppy Tombs

E: p.tombs [at] ucl.ac.uk