NIHR Biomedical Research Centre opens in Leicester

Pioneering research into medical advancements in Leicester will continue for the next five years, thanks to an £11.6 million grant.

The investment from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) will enable the newly formed NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) to push the boundaries of knowledge in illnesses linked to respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and the consequence of inactivity.

The NIHR Leicester BRC was launched on April 1 and is now one of only 20 Biomedical Research Centres across the country.

It builds on the work carried out by the NIHR Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), the NIHR Leicester Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit BRU and the NIHR Leicester-Loughborough Diet, Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit BRU.

Research teams in Leicester and Loughborough are now working together to host the development of groundbreaking treatments, diagnostics, prevention and care for people who have a wide range of diseases.

Professor Melanie Davies CBE, Director of the NIHR Leicester BRC and Professor of Diabetes Medicine at our University, said: “We have a proud history of health research and this new centre will enable us to continue to push the barriers of science in the quest for more answers and ultimately improved care for people with, or at risk of, long term conditions.”