DPFS Resource request (Newcastle University)

To get a new drug on the market that will prevent or cure disease is slow, costly and difficult. It involves a large team of people who, although experts, find it difficult to understand anything outside of their own subject. To speed up this process we need to get them talking (and listening) to each other. This will mean that the new drugs reach the patients much sooner.

The MRC have introduced a new funding scheme to appoint people who can bring everyone involved together, help them to share their special knowledge and identify the next critical steps to deliver new treatments to patients.

The aim of Newcastle University?s Faculty of Medical Sciences is to be the foremost site for translational medicine in the UK; we attach great importance to identifying and translating new discoveries and establishing new treatments into routine clinical practice across the UK. A recent review of research council funding and translational research activity examined the barriers that existed for the delivery of the agenda identified by the Cooksey Review. In the light of the findings the Faculty has undertaken a complete review of structures, established a joint research office and strategy committee with the local NHS Trusts, a new Translational Medicine Board and restructured the entire Faculty around its research strategy establishing eight research Institutes all of which co-locate scientists and clinicians.
However there is still a gap between fundamental discoveries at the laboratory bench made by scientists and their development toward a therapeutic benefit to humans driven by clinicians. Although there is a general desire to exploit advances in basic biomedical research to improve health in practice this is often difficult to achieve and the reasons for this are complex.
This application requests funding to appoint and support a DPFS research translator, for a period of two years, who will work closely with the Dean of Research and identify opportunities and assist PIs in the development of projects. The Newcastle MRC DPFS post would be housed within the Faculty of Medical Sciences but be line managed and be part of the Business Development Directorate and would be incorporated within the Faculty funding stream at the end of the 2 year period.