NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre

The mission of the NIHR Oxford BRC is to take ideas and research and transform them into treatments that improve people s lives. Here in Oxford, there are world-respected researchers and clinicians. But this isn t enough.

We make the most of research through vibrant local and national collaborations: researchers partner with patients and the public from all backgrounds and we work across departments, research areas, universities and NHS Trusts. Together we ensure that our science reaches the populations who need it most and that we focus on NHS priorities.

The success of this collaborative approach was demonstrated by our COVID-19 response.

With support from the public, we responded rapidly to the global pandemic, developing and testing the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine across the UK.

Additionally, the RECOVERY Trial was the world s largest trial looking at potential COVID-19 treatments, recruiting 43,000 participants across 180 NHS sites. It identified three effective treatments (e.g. dexamethasone) and ruled out several more.

We led a national testing programme involving over 200,000 households to track infections and immune responses in the UK population.

This next BRC will focus on key patient and NHS priorities: Long-term conditions are increasingly common and occur together. Technology and big data can transform delivery of care.

We will test interventions in community and hospital settings to identify those that impact positively on health, quality of life and use of health and care services We will develop ways of preventing and treating common diseases of the lungs, heart and brain We will use a detailed biological understanding and data from large numbers of patients to prevent and manage the impact of obesity Many diseases are caused or made worse by inflammation.

We will combine expertise on inflammatory diseases to understand the underlying biological processes, so we can rationally evaluate new treatments Human genetics can be used to understand, correct and treat diseases caused by abnormal genes.

We will develop curative gene, cell and immune therapies Engineers and clinicians will develop better imaging techniques to diagnose diseases more accurately and more quickly We will improve patient outcomes and experiences by delivering the best possible care before, during and after surgery and through the effective use of medical devices We will continue to develop vaccines, diagnostic tests and drugs for today s and tomorrow s infectious diseases.

All our research is driven and shaped in partnership with patients and the public from diverse communities, especially those most at risk of the impact from health inequalities.

A core team will support patient and public involvement and engagement, and provide expertise such as data analysis and ethics. Researchers must feel valued if they are to achieve their potential.

The BRC partner organisations, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Oxford, have policies to ensure a diverse and fair research culture, supporting the next generation of translational scientists.

The most effective projects often involve people with different expertise, so our Research Capacity Development team will establish a clinical research career path for nurses and other healthcare professionals.