Medical Research Council

We are excited to announce the launch of our new project - Equal Breath PSP today at the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum! Lung conditions are the third biggest killer in the UK—but people of Black heritage face the poorest outcomes. The Equal Breath Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) is bringing together people of Black heritage living with lung conditions and healthcare professionals who treat them to identify the most urgent research priorities. Because when we tackle the biggest disparities, we improve health for everyone. A huge thank you to the Medical Research Council for funding this project and the Black in Biomedical Research Advisory Group for championing our vision. Using the James Lind Alliance approach, we are making sure the voices that matter most lead the way. This is just the first step, but together, we can build a future of impactful research, fairer care, and healthier lives for all. #EqualBreathPSP #LungHealth #HealthEquity

UKRI is proud to take stewardship of a workshop on environmental sustainability for European funders this week, which took place at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). A year ago, a group of likeminded organisations – funders and research organisations met at EMBO in Germany, leading to the publication of the Heidelberg Agreement, of which UKRI is a supporter. As the host for this group, UKRI organised a range of talks and workshops which considered different perspectives, successes and challenges in transforming to science which truly considers planetary health. Covered in the event was a review of tools to enable sustainable research, funding policy considerations, supply-chain measurement and activity, and a discussion in how stewardship of the group would be continued and passed on. We learned about many amazing initiatives and actions from funders, research organisations and individuals, as well as from governing organisations, such as the European Commission and Science Europe. A brief report will be written outlining content discussed and future actions, while a terms of reference of the group is collaboratively developed for future engagements. We’d like to thank all who participated in this event: ANR, CRUK, CNRS, DFG, Durham University, EMBL, EMBO, EPFL, European Commission, ERC, FCT, Green Labs NL, IBEC, KCL, la Caixa Foundation, NWO, Research Ireland, RSC, University Medical Centre Utrecht & EWUU Alliance, University of Cambridge, Science Europe, SNSF, Volkswagenstiftung, Wellcome Trust, , as well as our hosts at the RSC, and we look forward to working together with the sector on how to continue to address this challenging but incredibly important area. 

Welcome to our 24 newly-appointed Council members! We’re looking forward to working with all of you across UKRI. AHRC: Seetha Kumar Tim Gardam Anita Bhalla Emma Kane BBSRC: James Briscoe EPSRC: Dr Dave Smith Simon King Professor Ian White ESRC: Andrew Dilnot Professor David Halpern Professor Cecilia Wong MRC: Professor Nadeem Sarwar Professor Nancy Rothwell Professor Sir Mark Caulfield NERC: Professor Peter Cox Professor Richard Bardgett Nick Folland Research England: Dr Tony Raven Professor Dina Kiwan Professor Dame Julia Buckingham STFC: Professor Jayne Lawrence Professor Dave Charlton Professor Andrew Pontzen Professor Stan Bentvelsen Our thanks also go to our outgoing Council members for their service.

🚨 Exciting funding opportunity to use AstraZeneca’s world-leading facilities for high throughput screening. This is a unique opportunity for academic drug discovery projects allowing access to:   ➡️ over two million molecules in AstraZeneca’s compound library ➡️ advanced compound management facilities ➡️ advanced screening robotics ➡️ multiple state-of-the-art assay platform technologies This opportunity is open to all targets and disease areas. In this round, we would also like to encourage applications related to pain or women’s health (including conditions related to metabolic disorders). More and to apply: https://lnkd.in/eaSbFxum 📅 Deadline 9 September

Exciting news! The new Functional Genomics Screening Lab (FGSL) is officially open 👏 The FGSL is part of the wider MRC-led UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative. It will provide UK researchers with access to large-scale biological and technological tools to support research that aims to speed up drug discovery and diagnostics for chronic diseases. Our Executive Chair Prof. Patrick Chinnery said: “The UK's new Functional Genomics Screening Laboratory marks a key milestone in enhancing the national ecosystem needed to improve our understanding of how genetic variance impacts health and disease. "The insights gained from the laboratory, along with the broader efforts of the MRC-led UK human functional genomics initiative, will pave the way for the next generation of diagnostics and targeted treatments to improve health outcomes. "I encourage researchers to collaborate with the new lab, which the MRC is pleased to fund and support.”

As Ruth Plummer hands over the reins as Chair of the MRC Experimental Medicine Panel, we wanted to take a moment to highlight the panel's achievements under her leadership. Launched in 2020, the panel was born from a visionary concept: to fund mechanistic-testing experimental studies that directly involve patients, accelerating the translation of scientific research into real-world treatments and interventions. Ruth’s dedication to this vision, alongside colleagues at the MRC, our research community and panel members, has led to the successful funding of high-quality experimental research projects across the UK. Key accomplishments so far include: 👉 Developing a successful funding model where applicants could request the appropriate funding for their projects, leading to a range of studies funded, from smaller projects to those exceeding £1 million. 👉 Supporting the next generation of clinical academics by actively encouraging applicants to involve a junior project lead as a co-applicant and supporting the MRC’s observer and associate members schemes. We’re very grateful to Ruth, who has chaired the panel since its inception, for her significant contributions, and take this opportunity to welcome Charlotte Summers as the new Experimental Medicine Panel Chair. We look forward to working with you! Read Ruth’s blog for her personal reflections: https://lnkd.in/exj7VhAd

New LMB spinout TRIMTECH Therapeutics Limited, co-founded by Leo James & William A McEwan, will leverage the unique properties of the protein TRIM21 to develop targeted protein degraders to treat neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e2PJ8Gti #LMBNews #drugdiscovery #therapeutics #spinout #neurodegeneration

Registration is now open for the 2025 Genomics England Research Summit! Held on 17 June at the Business Design Centre in London, this year’s agenda will explore groundbreaking research, technologies, and collaborations driving advances in genomic medicine. Spaces are limited so secure your spot now, via this link: https://lnkd.in/eN3WA9rJ #GERS2025

Fantastic work by researchers at Cambridge👏 And a great example of how MRC investment in medical imaging infrastructure is supporting research to improve diagnosis.

We’re pleased to see this new publication. The findings in this paper set a benchmark for evaluating changes to research culture and practices under the MRC policy on inclusive research design.