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UCL and UCLH celebrate Red4Research 2026
18 June 2026
UCL and UCLH are marking Red For Research on Friday, 19 June 2026, with our iconic portico lit up in red and staff and students across campus wearing red to highlight the contribution research makes to everyone’s health.
The Red4Research campaign is the annual national celebration of everyone who makes health research happen and the impact they have. UK universities and hospitals are powerhouses of breakthrough research, delivering transformative outcomes for patients while making the UK one of the most sought-after countries to do biomedical research.
Much of this work happens behind the scenes, however, and the Red4Research campaign shines a spotlight on this life-changing, cutting-edge work. Started in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported by the NHS Research and Development Forum, the campaign has grown every year and is now an international event, with celebrations in Chile, Australia, India, across Africa and in many other countries.
UCL and the University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are teaching and research partners, and together we undertake world-leading research and translate cutting-edge science into real-world benefits for patients and the NHS. From early detection and new therapies to digital innovation and inclusive research, we are transforming the way care is delivered.
Red4Research is also a chance for us to celebrate our incredible partnership.
This financial year, UCLH has recruited the highest ever number of patients to clinical trials, including recruiting the first participants in the world in three studies. UCL and its partner hospitals conduct nearly half (49%) of all UK academically sponsored Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Product Trials.
Together this means we are making more breakthrough treatments available to a greater number of NHS patients than ever before. Many of these are experimental or first-in-human trials.
Our recent work together has included:
Breakthrough applications for CART-T therapies, which reset the body’s immune system by altering its immune cells, for conditions including lupus, B-cell lymphoma and multiple sclerosis (MS).
A gene therapy that appears to slow the progression of Huntington's , an incurable hereditary degenerative disease, offering hope to thousands of patients worldwide and their families.
A new treatment for high blood pressure can provide continuous, round-the-clock blood pressure control for people whose condition is hard to treat, according to a global study at UCL and UCLH, which is now approved in the US.
Faster MRI scans that offer new hope for dementia diagnosis.
Professor Geraint Rees, Vice Principal Research, Innovation and Global Engagement said: “I am incredibly proud to support Red4Research. Research these days is a team effort: from volunteers and study participants, to health professionals, to clinical trial co-ordinators and academics and many more besides.
The UK has a wealth of outstanding life and medical science expertise, but it is this coming together of innovation, knowledge and the staff and patients of the NHS that make us such a great place to do research. Thank you all for connecting science to the health outcomes we want, here in the UK and around the world.”
Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, Vice Provost Health said: "Medical research transforms lives. It helps us understand disease and makes prevention and treatment possible. Working in partnership, with research embedded in the NHS, we can move faster, reach more people, and make a greater difference.
Red4Research is chance to recognise what is possible when expertise, innovation and collaboration come together to drive change and celebrate the people behind these partnerships. It is their collective effort, resilience and commitment to improving care that ensures research is embedded within the NHS and delivers real benefit every day.”
Dr Nick McNally, Managing Director of Research, UCL/ UCLH Joint Research Office said: “We’re proud to be part of the Red4Research campaign. Research relies on so many people to play a role, from research teams, study participants, trial co-ordinators, and more – all working together to deliver research that changes lives. We are incredibly proud of the research we do at UCLH and UCL, working collaboratively across the research ecosystem, to make an impact an impact here in London, across the country, and indeed around the world.”
L-R: Professor Emma Morris, Dean Faculty of Medical Sciences, Vice-Provost Health Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, Professor Gail Taylor Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, Professor Andrew Nisbet, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Engineering Sciences
Queen Square Institute of Neurology and UCLH. L-R: UCLH Professor Tarek YOUSRY, Professor Fiona Ducotterd, Professor Gipi Schiavo, Dr Katharine HUNT, Professor John DUNCAN
UCL's NIHR PRU Reproductive Health team
L-R: Vice Provost Research, Innovation and Global Engagement Geraint Rees, Managing Director for Research, UCL/ UCLH Joint Research Office, Nick McNally
Institute for Global Health. L-R: Professor of Epidemiology Al Cozzi-Lepri, Head of Health Psychology Professor Lorraine Sherr
Institute for Global Health. L-R: Director of Centre for Non Communicable Diseases Professor Ed Fottrell and Principal Research Fellow in Global Mental Health Dr Kelly Rose-Clarke
The Queens Square Clinical Trials Centre team.
Links
- Red4Research
- UCL/ UCLH Joint Research Office
- UCL Health
- UCL Research and Innovation
- Vice Provost Research, Innovation and Global Engagement Professor Geraint Rees' profile
- Vice Provost Health Professor Ibrahim Abubakar's profile
- Managing Director of Research, UCL/ UCLH Joint Research Office Nick McNally's profile