The MRC BRC and the MDU will use the funding and cutting-edge research to improve public health until March 2029
The Medical Research Council (MRC) has awarded two medical research units based at the University of Cambridge a total of £30m in funding for the next five years.
Scientists based at the MRC Biostatistics Unit (BRC) and the Metabolic Diseases Unit (MDU) aim to use cutting-edge research to improve public health until March 2029.
Following positive reviews of both units’ achievements and research plans, the units will provide highly effective training environments for skilled researchers across several areas.
First established in 1913, the BSU is home to one of the largest groups of biostatisticians in Europe and is a major centre for research, training and knowledge exchange.
The new funding will help to further develop, apply and communicate innovative statistical methods to improve health while uniting researchers with in-depth expertise in statistical and computational methods and their biomedical applications.
Since 2013, the MDU has been an important part of the MRC’s Institute of Metabolic Science and is focused on studying how metabolic health is maintained, what happens when it is disrupted, as well as the development of ill health and disease.
Metabolic disorders, including obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and related endocrine disorders, are conditions that affect any aspect of the metabolism.
The research aims to help develop better treatment strategies for patients living with these types of conditions.
Jessica Boname, head of population and systems medicine, MRC, commented: “Together, these two units are turning academic research into action… and… [are] helping improve the UK’s wellbeing by tackling some of the biggest health challenges we face.”
Most recently, the MRC partnered with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to provide six MRC clinical fellows with industry placement opportunities to help the UK further foster clinical research.
In September last year, the MRC invested £2m into four research innovation teams to further understand and help treat cancers with poor survival rates, including those of the brain, lung and oesophagus.
