Imperial Wins Funds for Health Protection Research

The National Institute for Health Research has awarded Imperial funds for four new Health Protection Research Units (HPRUs). The units, partnered by Public Health England (PHE), will provide centres of excellence in multi-disciplinary health protection research. Funding contracts will run for five years from 1 April 2014.

Research at the HPRUs will focus on: developing better methodologies for modelling infections; fighting antimicrobial resistance and other healthcare associated infections; combating respiratory infections; and improving our understanding of the health impacts of environmental hazards. 

Work at the HPRU in Modelling Methodology will include developing novel computational tools that allow the wealth of health data currently being collected by health professionals to be fully exploited.

The combined complementary strengths of the two largest and most diverse teams of infectious disease modellers in the UK - at PHE and Imperial - will deliver a step change in research capacity available for health protection modelling. The HPRU in Respiratory Infections will carry out studies to combat tuberculosis (TB) and influenza. 

The number of cases of patients with TB has been steadily rising in Britain for the last 20 years, with London carrying almost half the burden. PHE has pledged to reduce TB infections by 50 per cent over five years. Researchers will work with PHE to determine how this reduction rate can be achieved.

The researchers will also investigate the rollout of a proposed live influenza scheme for all children in the UK, evaluating the effectiveness of the scheme, and sharing the results with other European nations that may wish to emulate the programme. 

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said: “These partnerships will bring together research from academia and Public Health England to ensure world class health protection research in England.By focusing on research across a wide range of public health areas, the units will take new scientific discoveries from the lab to benefits for patients and the public. I believe they will have a significant impact on the health of the population.”