Tag: research funding

University of Edinburgh research receives £5 million funding boost from the British Heart Foundation

~ Funding will support world-leading cardiovascular research at the university ~

The British Heart Foundation has awarded the University of Edinburgh £5 million funding to support its world-class cardiovascular disease research over the next five years, the charity has announced today.

Researchers at the University welcomed the announcement. 

Professor David Newby, BHF Duke of Edinburgh Professor of Cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious award which will enable us to deliver a step-change in our research into heart and circulatory diseases, stroke, vascular dementia and diabetes.

“The award will accelerate our drive to identify new discoveries across disciplines and to establish the next generation of science and scientific researchers with the ultimate aim of improving the lives of our patients.”

The funding will support the University of Edinburgh to cultivate a world-class research environment that encourages collaboration, inclusion and innovation, and where visionary scientists can drive lifesaving breakthroughs.

The Edinburgh award is part of a much needed £35 million boost to UK cardiovascular disease research from the British Heart Foundation.

The funding comes from the charity’s highly competitive Research Excellence Awards funding scheme.

The £5 million award to the University of Edinburgh will support researchers to:

  • Investigate how hardening of the major arteries develops throughout the body to cause heart attacks, strokes and circulatory problems, and how this interacts with the body’s immune and nervous systems.
  • Discover how small blood vessel disease in the brain causes strokes and vascular dementia so that we can develop and test new ways to prevent and to treat these major health problems.
  • Accelerate our understanding of how the body’s metabolism in fat, immune and kidney tissue causes heart and circulatory problems throughout life: from the womb through to old age.
  • Deliver new ways of using routinely collected health data with DataLoch to identify those at risk of heart attacks or strokes, and to embed this into health records systems to prevent diseases before they occur.

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to continue to support research at the University of Edinburgh addressing the biggest challenges in cardiovascular disease. This funding recognises the incredible research happening at Edinburgh and will help to further its reputation as a global leader in the field.

“With generous donations from our supporters, this funding will attract the brightest talent, power cutting-edge science, and unlock lifesaving discoveries that can turn the tide on the devastation caused by heart and circulatory diseases.”

David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “It is great news that the University of Edinburgh has once again been recognised as a centre of research excellence. Scotland has a strong tradition of leading the way in cardiovascular research and today’s announcement will further reinforce this for years to come.”

Research Excellence Awards offer researchers greater flexibility than traditional research funding, allowing scientists to quickly launch ambitious projects that can act as a springboard for larger, transformative funding applications.

The funding also aims to break down the silos that have traditionally existed in research, encouraging collaboration between experts from diverse fields.

From clinicians to data scientists, biologists to engineers, the funding will support universities to attract the brightest minds, nurture new talent and foster collaboration to tackle the biggest questions in heart and circulatory disease research.

First launched in 2008, the University of Edinburgh has previously received nearly £14 million funding through the BHF’s Research Excellence Awards funding scheme to date.

This funding has supported research that will lay the foundations for future breakthroughs, including:

  • A trial that showed that a simple scan could save thousands of lives every year by improving the diagnosis of people coming to hospital with chest pain. The scan is now recommended as a first-line diagnostic tool in NICE guidelines for people presenting at hospital with chest pain.
  • Development of an artificial intelligence tool that can improve diagnosis of acute heart failure. The tool uses AI to combine routinely collected patient information with results from a blood test for the protein NT-proBNP, which is made by the heart. The researchers are now investigating how it could be implemented into routine care.
  • Over the last 5 years, investing in the training and development of 12 doctors to become researchers who are increasing knowledge today and developing new life-saving treatments for tomorrow.

Edinburgh charity’s research funding boost brings new hope to secondary breast cancer patients 

Co-funded study in partnership with Breast Cancer Ireland to investigate screening for disease spreading to the brain 

Edinburgh charity Make 2nds Count is co-funding a new study focusing on the spread of secondary breast cancer to the brain. 

The funding collaboration, in partnership with Breast Cancer Ireland will bring the study to patients with secondary breast cancer across the UK and Ireland. 

The £219,560 grant will enable researchers to investigate screening asymptomatic patients for brain metastases in the hope that early detection will improve survival rates. 

Patients with HER2-positive secondary breast cancer are at much higher risk of the disease spreading to the brain but there is currently no regular screening regime to identify any metastases before symptoms show.  

The HER2-CNS SURVEILLANCE study aims to investigate the feasibility of recruiting HER2-positive secondary breast cancer patients with no signs of brain metastases, conducting an initial MRI brain scan for brain metastases detection and then randomising patients into two groups: one to receive six-monthly MRI brain scans for a year and another who will not receive the additional scans – the current standard. 

Initially, the aim is to recruit 69 patients from six cancer centres across the UK – Liverpool, Birmingham, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff – plus one in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.

The study is expected to last for up to three years and the Co-Chief Investigators are Professor Carlo Palmieri, Professor of Translational Oncology at The University of Liverpool and a Consultant in Medical Oncology at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, and Dr Sara Meade, a Consultant Oncologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. 

Some preliminary data on the frequency of brain metastases detection in patients having a brain scan with no symptoms will be collected. Qualitative themes will also be embedded into the research which will discuss attitudes towards the study with eligible participants, barriers to recruitment and whether randomisation is a barrier or facilitator to enrolment.

The Sussex Health Outcomes, Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C) Group at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School will be responsible for these qualitative research themes. 

Secondary breast cancer claims 1,000 lives each month in the UK – an average of 31 deaths every day.  Make 2nds Count is dedicated to raising awareness of this little-known form of the disease, also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer, which has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. It is incurable, although it can be treated, and currently affects around 61,000 people in the UK. 

 

Professor David Cameron, Chair of the Make 2nds Count Board of Trustees: “Overall, this research will subsequently enable a larger study that will explore the benefits of regular brain scanning for detecting brain metastases early in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients when no symptoms are present. 

“A key driver of Make 2nds Count is the ability to bring fresh hope to secondary breast cancer patients and their families. So we’re thrilled to be able to fund this initial research which we believe could lead to more positive outcomes for greater numbers of patients.” 

Professor Carlo Palmieri, Professor of Translational Oncology at The University of Liverpool, Consultant in Medical Oncology at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Co-Chief Investigator of the study: “I am really pleased that we will be able to launch this important research into metastatic breast cancer.

“It will set out to discover if regular brain scanning of those with secondary breast cancer is a viable and useful option when monitoring this cohort of patients. We are very grateful to Make 2nds Count for recognising how useful this research will be.” 

Dr Sara Meade, a Consultant Oncologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Co-Chief Investigator of the study: “This project is vital to the fight against HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

“Early detection of disease in the brain will help to prevent neurological decline and facilitate earlier treatment for our patients. We are incredibly grateful to Make 2nds Count for their support.” 

Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland comments, “As Ireland’s leading breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Ireland is delighted to partner with Make2ndsCount to co-fund this incredible body of research into brain metastases through the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre’s collaboration with the charity and the University of Liverpool.  

“We have always been acutely aware of the benefits of international collaboration in this field, and are proud to have recently launched #MetastaticMatters, an education and awareness campaign specifically focussing on those living with metastatic breast cancer, typically the most challenging area from a scientific research perspective.

“We’re excited to see the impact of this collaboration between some of the finest research experts in the world, and firmly believe that research and information sharing such as this are the best opportunity for scientific breakthroughs in relation to this ever-challenging disease.”