£3m research centre will target disease

A new research centre will bring together experts in a diverse range of fields to tackle some of the greatest health issues of our time – and the public are being invited to get involved.

The University of Exeter’s Centre for Biomedical Modelling and Analysis will unite disciplines including mathematics, computer science and physics with those from biology, biomedicine and clinical sciences.

By working together, they will gain a better understanding of the root causes of diseases such as dementia, diabetes and epilepsy, leading to new tools for diagnosing and treating these disorders.

The Centre is funded by £1million from the Wellcome Trust, combined with £2.2million from the University.

The money will pay for six of the brightest minds in the disciplines involved to collaborate, and to forge partnerships with organisations such as NHS Trusts and research networks. It will also fund the next generation of research talent, through PhDs.

They are also seeking public involvement, to give their views on which areas of research should be addressed, and how it should be conducted.

Professor John Terry, co-director of the Centre and a mathematician, said: “This launch is incredibly exciting, not just for Exeter, but for the future of health care worldwide.

"In the past, disciplines as diverse as mathematics and biomedicine have typically operated in silos, but this new Centre will build new bridges of collaboration, both between basic scientists and clinicians and, crucially, with the wider public.

"By working together and sharing our diverse skillsets, we can get a much better understanding of what’s really causing disease, which will undoubtedly lead to more precise diagnosis and more effective and targeted treatment.”

To get involved, email engaged-research@exeter.ac.uk. To find out more, visit http://www.exeter.ac.uk/bma/