New report reveals 100 state of the art research areas that could impact all of our lives
Research funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) is celebrated in a new report revealed today, entitled ‘Big ideas for the Future’. The report celebrates the top 100 pieces of research that will change our future. Universities across the country involved in this pioneering research have contributed to the report, which celebrates Universities Week 2011.
Big Ideas for the Future focuses on exciting and revolutionary pieces of research across all fields, including medical research, and is supported by a number of celebrities working in the field, such as Professor Lord Robert Winston. In his introduction to the chapter on ‘Delivering a Healthy Future’, Lord Winston says:
“The importance of basic research cannot be overemphasised. Without the insights it provides, we would be unable to plan the work that will lead to the biggest advances. I feel privileged to be a member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, one of the seven councils in the UK that invest around £3 billion each year in academic research. These bodies, particularly the Medical Research Council, are vital for setting this agenda and producing the basic knowledge that has such value.”
Several highlights of the report feature Medical Research Council funded research, including:
- The development of a life-saving treatment for newborn babies with birth asphyxia, which few infants currently survive without handicap.
- The development of simple blood-testing kits that can be used anywhere to analyse a patient’s platelet function, enabling doctors and nurses to tailor therapies to individual patients’ needs
- The development of new ways in which older people can possess the knowledge, skills and confidence to live independently at home in the presence of self-managed pain.
Universities Week 2011 is ongoing until June 19. The week highlights the benefits of universities in UK society today, including the benefits to local community, businesses, and the future of the UK. Commenting on Universities Week, the Medical Research Council’s chief executive, Professor Sir John Savill, said:
“We fund the brightest and best researchers working on the major health challenges facing the UK and the world. To this end, we work with universities in several ways. Universities across the country provide us with a pool of skilled and motivated researchers, and help us to provide the research environments that ensure the UK continues to be a world-leader in outstanding medical research. The Medical Research Council continues to invest in universities, supporting centres and units of research excellence that it would be difficult to provide elsewhere. They are vital for the ongoing success of our organisation and our overarching aim to improve human health.”
The report, published jointly by the universities involved and Research Councils UK (which includes the MRC) is available to download here. Alongside this, hundreds of events open to members of the public are taking place around the country this week. Please visit http://www.universitiesweek.org.uk for more information.
