£35 million research boost for GOSH

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) the British government’s major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research has announced that the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR GOSH BRC) is one of 20 centres from across the country to receive 5-years of funding to deliver translational research.

Our vision is to transform the health of children and the adults they will become by combining cutting edge research methods with world-leading clinical trial expertise, to accelerate discovery of new treatments for children with rare and complex conditions worldwide.

The NIHR GOSH Biomedical Research Centre

The NIHR GOSH BRC is a collaboration between Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH). We are proud to be the only NIHR-supported Biomedical Research Centre focussing solely on paediatric research. Our Biomedical Research Centre provides cutting-edge facilities and world-leading expertise, allowing our staff and NHS, university, industry and charity collaborators to conduct pioneering translational research into childhood illnesses.

A new phase for research at GOSH

This new funding allows us to build on the partnership between GOSH and UCL GOS ICH, while developing new relationships with children’s hospitals across the UK including Birmingham, Sheffield and Liverpool.

Our new Biomedical Research Centre will bring together five Themes, deepening our strengths and world-leading expertise from diverse researchers, with involvement of our unique patients, to focus on the follow areas:

• GENE STEM and CELLULAR THERAPIES builds on our world-leading expertise to develop new therapies for childhood cancer and immunological, blood, brain, neuromuscular, skin and metabolic conditions.
• GENOMIC MEDICINE uses cutting-edge technology and new ways of analysing large data-sets to improve diagnosis and help develop treatments.
• ACCELERATING NOVEL THERAPIES supports bringing new medicines into clinical practice by delivering clinical trials and stem-cell based evaluation of therapies.
• TISSUE ENGINEERING and REGENERATIVE MEDICINE develops pioneering laboratory and surgical techniques to repair, replace or regenerate tissues or organs.
• APPLIED CHILD HEALTH INFORMATICS uses advanced data analysis methods, leveraging GOSH’s electronic patient data, to improve management of children with rare and/or complex conditions.

Alongside these themes, the BRC CENTRAL DEVELOPMENTAL HUB will support our highly successful Career Development Academy, commercial and public involvement activities. This work is vital to our continued efforts to translate research into patient benefits, support a diverse workforce of researchers and deliver outcomes with a truly global, transformational impact.

We also know that involving patients, their carers and the public in the research process is essential to achieving our mission.

Since 2007, we have shown that out BRC can deliver life changing and life-saving impacts for children across the world, and the adults they will become. We are so pleased that we can continue to develop innovative medicine for the benefit of our patients.

Our work is always a huge team effort, involving clinical teams, researchers, patients and families. In the last 5 years alone, we have worked together to lead and support research that has resulted in eleven new treatments getting regulatory approval in Europe and the USA and this new funding will further strengthen our expertise and collaborations.

Professor Thomas Voit, Director of the NIHR GOSH BRC

Professor Thomas Voit, Director of the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre

We know that patients seen at hospitals that carry out research have better outcomes. That’s why I’m delighted we have received this funding.

Dr Mat Shaw, Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital

Dr Mat Shaw, Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital

Our clinical and academic teams go above and beyond every day to deliver world-leading care with research embedded throughout. In this new term, our BRC will continue working with NHS hospitals across the UK, particularly Alder Hey, Birmingham and Sheffield children’s hospitals, to really make a difference for children with rare or complex conditions.

GOSH and the ICH were first awarded BRC status by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in 2007, receiving a third round of funding in 2017.

 

Read more about our research impact.

 

Twenty new Biomedical Research Centres

NIHR Biomedical Research Centres are partnerships between NHS trusts and universities that translate scientific discoveries into new treatments, diagnostics and medical technologies for patients.

This funding comes as the NIHR awards a total of £790 million to 20 new Biomedical Research Centres across England, following an open and competitive process judged by international experts and patients.

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of our booming research sector and the potential it has to not only strengthen health and care services but lead to lifesaving developments.

This additional funding will harness the UK's world leading innovation and allow research centres up and down the country to attract experts in their field and conduct research that saves lives. From helping develop the Covid vaccine to discovering world-first treatments, these centres have already delivered ground-breaking research and will continue to help us tackle some of the biggest health challenges we face, including cancer, to ensure the NHS continues to deliver world-class care.

Health and Social Care Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Thérèse Coffey