PRESS RELEASE Wednesday 18 May, 2011
The doors to two leading research units at Royal Brompton Hospital will open to the public on Friday (May 20). Teams from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit and Respiratory Clinical Research Facility at Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College London will meet visitors, as part of a national campaign to demonstrate research underway in hospitals.
Visitors can find out about some of the studies currently taking place, view the facilities, witness demonstrations and meet research staff from 11am to 2pm. This event is part of a national initiative to open the doors of Clinical Research Facilities to the public, so they can see firsthand some of the amazing studies carried out in hospitals.
Each year hundreds of volunteers take part in research studies organised by Royal Brompton and Imperial College London. The Cardiovascular BRU and Respiratory Clinical Research Facility opened in 2010, providing a comfortable and cutting-edge environment for studies in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Nia Voase, Respiratory Clinical Research Facility manager, said: “It is important the public can find out for themselves what research we are conducting into respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to help improve treatment for patients. On Friday we will be here to answer any questions and explain what research is taking place.”
Respiratory research focuses on diseases such as, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, interstitial lung diseases, cystic fibrosis, acute respiratory disease and sleep disorders. Cardiovascular research is focussed on complex coronary disease, adult congenital heart disease, advanced heart failure, aorta & aortic valves, advanced imaging and genetics and genomics.
The Respiratory Clinical Research Facility is located on the 1st floor, Fulham Wing, Royal Brompton Hospital, in Fulham Road. The Cardiovascular BRU is located on Sydney Street, Level 1(basement). For further information on all our facilities, please visit our website http://www.rbht.nhs.uk/research/brus/
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Notes to editors:
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust is a national and international specialist heart and lung centre based in Chelsea, London and Harefield, Middlesex. The Trust helps patients from all age groups who have heart and lung problems and is the country's largest centre for the treatment of adult congenital heart disease. www.rbht.nhs.uk
In April 2008, the NIHR awarded a four-year grant worth at least £10 million to a partnership of Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College London to fund respiratory and cardiovascular BRUs at the Trust. The Units will lead innovative research in respiratory and cardiovascular medicine, translating advances in medical research into benefits for patients and supporting the expansion of current research output in these priority areas of disease.
The Cardiovascular BRU, a Cardiac Regeneration Unit, will research into new treatments for the heart using genes, stem cells, tissue engineering and devices. A significant part of the research will be the establishment of cardiovascular genetics research working in close synergy with advanced cardiac imaging and cardiac Positron Emission Tomography (PET). This will develop a pipeline of discovery of new mechanisms of heart disease and new treatments. The imaging technologies will also be used to develop new techniques of delivering novel treatments (such as stem cells).
Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.
Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health, tackle climate change, develop sustainable sources of energy and address security challenges.
In 2007, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust formed the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre. This unique partnership aims to improve the quality of life of patients and populations by taking new discoveries and translating them into new therapies as quickly as possible. www.imperial.ac.uk
The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk
For further information, please contact:
Jessica Mangold,
Head of Media Relations
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Tel: 020 7351 8672 (Brompton), Tel: 01895 828 877 (Harefield)
Mobile: 07866 536 345
Email: J.Mangold@rbht.nhs.uk
