Funding awarded for world class research centre

The Centre forms part of the strategic expansion of the College and will be built with considerable additional financial support from the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and £13.5m from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry and the University of Exeter.

In collaboration with the University of Exeter, Peninsula Foundation (the region’s leading medical research foundation) will support the project through a capital appeal to raise £1.5m. This appeal will commence in September 2010.

The new Centre will focus on research aimed at improving understanding of the origin and causes of diabetes and related conditions, translating that understanding into personalised patient care.

The project will bring together, in one building, clinical and biomedical scientists working in human genetics, cell biology, human physiology and interventional studies (eg: treatments, therapies, behaviour change) of diabetes. It will consolidate a wide range of Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry research which currently takes place at various locations, allowing the institution to significantly expand the quantity and variety of the research it carries out in Exeter.

Professor Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter, added: "The development of the Centre for Translational Medicine is a vital part of the expansion of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. When completed, it will provide a world-class facility which will enhance the reputation of research from the region and positively impact patient care, both in the South West and all over the world. The multi-million pound award from the Wellcome-Wolfson Capital Awards Initiative is very significant to the project and will help us work toward achieving these aims. This kind of investment is vital to support research and education which can not only improve lives, but also help build the future of the UK economy."

The Centre will be based on the RD&E hospital trust campus next to the existing Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry building and the MacLeod Diabetes and Endocrine Centre.

As a key partner, the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust hospital site is the preferred location for the Centre for Translational Medicine. This is where the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry building, the diabetes vascular research centre and the postgraduate medical centre are all based – creating an identity for that part of the hospital site as the research, innovation and learning zone.
 
Chief Executive of the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust Angela Pedder OBE said: “The RD&E partnership with Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry and Universities of Exeter and Plymouth has achieved arguably one of the most successful new Medical Schools in the UK. Creation of this innovation and learning centre was closely aligned to our commitment to delivering patient-centred health services, postgraduate medical education and allied healthcare education in a research culture. We know already that many benefits are reaped from having a health research activity close to where healthcare services are delivered. Patients will benefit from this best practice and knowledge.”

The Centre represents 2943 sq m of research facilities in a new two storey building including biomedical (genetics and cell biology) laboratories and computing facilities, a clinical research area, office accommodation, meeting rooms and support areas.

When fully operational it is estimated that more than 150 members of staff will work in the building, including researchers, academics, post-doctorates, postgraduate students, bioinformaticians, statisticians, research nurses, technicians and support staff.

It is anticipated that construction will begin in early Spring 2012 with completion in Summer 2013.

Professor Angela Shore, Director of Biomedical and Clinical Science at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, commented: “This is a significant capital funding award for us and our thanks go to the Wellcome-Wolfson Capital Awards initiative. The Centre for Translational Medicine will allow us to further develop our key work on the origins and causes of diabetes and illnesses related to the condition and, fundamentally, to translate our work from our laboratories into treatments and therapies for patients. We are already the international centre for the genetics of neonatal diabetes and we are internationally recognised as a leader in a wide range of research related to the disease and its affiliate conditions. Our new building and the facilities it will offer mean that we can develop our work and our reputation to the benefit patients across the world, placing our research carried out in the South West of England firmly on the global stage.”

Director of Research & Development at the RD&E, Professor Andrew Hattersley said: “The Trust Board’s major commitment was crucial for the success of this bid. To perform first class research for the benefit of patients needs real partnership between the NHS and University researchers. This grant is very exciting as it will allow us to develop a world class research centre within the hospital grounds. By having a wide range of researchers working together with clinicians we will be ideally placed to make real progress in improving patient care. The future for clinical research in Exeter will be very exciting.”