Medics share £450m to turn research into healthcare

Dec 12 2006 By Liz Hands, The Journal

The North-East is to get millions of pounds from the Government to carry out medical research, it was announced yesterday.

Newcastle was named as one of 11 new Biomedical Research Centres of excellence in England.

The city's centre - a collaboration between Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust and Newcastle University - will help drive the development and testing of new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat ill health.

Scientists and doctors will focus on "translational research" that will take advances in medical research out of the laboratory and into the hospital.

Five main centres were announced - London, Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool and Newcastle - and six will be specialist centres, concentrating on one area of disease. They will share more than £450m over the next five years.

Professor Chris Day, head of clinical medical sciences at Newcastle University and liver specialist at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, said: "There's always been the concern that the money goes into London, Oxford and Cambridge.

"That's happened again, but it is coming to Newcastle as well. It means the region has been judged to be as good as the areas we call the `golden triangle'."

Newcastle will be focusing on a range of illnesses as well as specialising in ageing and chronic disease.

Research around the UK will be carried out on major killers such as cancer and heart disease as well as other areas such as asthma, HIV, mental illness and blindness.