Other Hospital Based Clinical Subjects: Unit of Assessment 4
The majority of research in the Other Hospital Based Clinical Subjects UoA is officially classified as world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour, having most of its evidence assessed as being in the 4* and 3* categories for quality in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
| Quality Level | 4* | 3* | 2* | 1* | Unclassified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % of research activity | 15 | 50 | 30 | 5 | 0 |
Clinically based research activity takes place in one of three multidisciplinary cross cutting institutes:
Our research agenda is driven by an ambition to lead in developing new approaches in healthcare that have an international impact in medical practice, inspired by the clinical needs we see from day to day in our hospitals and clinics. Our strategy is to support strong basic science that translates to clinical research for the benefit of patients, by encouraging collaborative working between scientists and clinicians across disciplines and specialties. This focus on translational research has recently been recognised by:
- the award of Department of Health Biomedical Research Centre in Ageing and Age-related Disease;
- designation as the UK Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre for Stroke;
- the award of UKCRC funding for the Clinical Ageing Research Unit (CARU), (£7m) on the new Campus for Ageing and Vitality.
As a measure of our growth in cellular medicine, ageing and complex genetics, the annual rate of grant spend by researchers in these areas increased by 45% from 2001 to 2006 with 30% of the £59m in grant support raised since 2001 awarded in the last year. Furthermore, the number of investigators being returned to this UoA has effectively almost doubled from 58 in the RAE 2001 to 104.
An important focus of the three research institutes has been supporting and developing collaboration across disciplines and this is strongly represented in the structure of its research themes. The large number of international collaborations across the UoA strengthens our research and raises our international profile.
The Faculty has underpinned key advances in basic science and technology by investing over £42m during this RAE period in new laboratories and scientific facilities whilst at the same time strengthened interaction with NHS trusts and staff and investing in key new clinical research facilities and initiatives.
In 2005, we established the Clinical Research Centre, a joint venture between the University and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust. The Centre incorporates the Clinical Research Facility, the Wilson Horne Immunotherapy Centre, the Clinical Trials Unit and the newly opened Functional Imaging Centre incorporating Magnetic Resonance imaging and PET scanning.
We have invested selectively to support our areas of strength within our institutes and provided the infrastructure needed to promote multidisciplinary research. New laboratories have been provided by MEDSPAN, a £16m refurbishment project (SRIF funding) for diabetes, immunobiology musculoskeletal, dermatology and liver research groups, with an emphasis on open plan architecture to ensure easy access to the shared lab space, equipment and central facilities. A Wolfson grant and Dunhill Medical Trust awards have enabled further refurbishment and re-equipment of laboratory and office space for the musculoskeletal group, to provide an excellent platform for both clinical and basic science research, as well as space for the recently recruited cell signalling, injury and repair 'liver' team to facilitate new collaborations.