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Experimental Medicine

The MRC has been made the lead public sector organisation for Experimental Medicine by the Office for Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research and co-ordinates activities on behalf of UK Clinical Research Collaboration partners.

 

Experimental Medicine (EM) is an exciting, high profile area in which there has been a rapid and major increase in interest and activities. These pages are dedicated to this expanding area of research and are intended to provide easier access to major ongoing MRC activities and opportunities related to EM.

 

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What is Experimental Medicine?

Experimental Medicine is a broad term and refers to

“Investigation undertaken in humans, relating where appropriate to model systems, to identify mechanisms of pathophysiology or disease, or to demonstrate proof-of-concept evidence of the validity and importance of new discoveries or treatments.”

 

Experimental medicine precedes and informs the development of late phase clinical trials.

 

Experimental medicine is bidirectional. Effective translation of results from experimental medicine studies into later phase clinical research is an important outcome of experimental medicine, as is the generation of new hypotheses to be explored in the laboratory.

 

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MRC and Experimental Medicine

Experimental Medicine is a core element of MRC’s overarching translational research strategy, to drive the translation of discoveries from basic laboratory and clinical science into benefits for human health. EM early clinical studies provide the key bi-directional link between fundamental discovery and later stage testing of new treatments in patients.

 

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MRC’s Track record in fostering Experimental Medicine

Experimental Medicine is not a new area for the MRC. A series of strategic initiatives, targeted at specific points key to enabling experimental medicine have been supported in recent years. These include

Two key calls in Experimental Medicine

Focussed on first in man ‘proof of concept’ studies to continue to strengthen experimental medicine research in the UK

 

Two calls in Biomarker development and evaluation

To evaluate potential biomarkers (surrogate indicators of a biologic state or process) in diagnosis of disease, disease heterogeneity and underlying mechanisms, susceptibility, exposure or response to interventions.

 

Strategic awards for research on the evaluation and validation of human and animal models of disease, in vivo, in vitro and in silico

 

Patient Cohort awards

An unprecedented initiative to create small, extensively-defined groups of patients to help detect, treat or prevent disease.

 

Stem cell research awards

Stem cell research has the potential to result in life-saving treatments and is an important part of the MRC’s portfolio and translational strategy – we continue to support research on both adult and embryonic stem cells.

 

A summary of the awards made under these all specific initiatives can be found under success rates. The MRC online researchable portfolio contains detailed information on currently funded MRC research.

 

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MRC leading co-ordination in Experimental Medicine

The MRC has been made the lead public sector organisation for Experimental Medicine in the context of the MRC/NIHR strategic activities co-ordinated by the Office for Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research (OSCHR).

 

There are however, a number of major stakeholders in the UK with strong overlapping interests in the field working in the context of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC). The MRC is therefore also providing co-ordination of the UKCRC Experimental Medicine Funders Group (EMFG), which draws together the interests and strengths of key partners to ensure that the UK maintains an attractive international profile in the area.

 

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Funding opportunities at the MRC

There are opportunities provided by our Research Boards for investigator led applications for support across the spectrum of biomedical research. The main funding schemes that are assessed through the Board route include research grants, programme grants, New Investigator Research Grants

 

For specific note however are the following schemes:

The MRC has developed a new managed mode scheme specifically for applicants wishing to undertake early clinical research in the development of an intervention.

 

If your application is in collaboration with industry you may need to complete the additional MICA form with your application.

 

The Translational Stem Cell Research Committee (TSCRC) has been established to fund investigator-led research proposals that have clear translational goals, and will consider applications from across the UK.

 

MRC Clinical Pharmacology and Pathology Fellowship Programmes In response to a critical skills gap within the UK, MRC is launching a new £3.7 million call for two flagship fellowship training programmes in clinical pharmacology and pathology.

 

As part of its commitment to developing and sustaining a close and productive alignment with industry in the UK, the MRC will be funding approximately 35 individual Industry CASE PhD studentships this year, to be taken up in 2010.

 

For the entire range of funding opportunities please see grants

 

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MRC resources for Experimental Medicine

The MRC has invested in key centres and resources which provide the multidisciplinary expertises and skills to underpin EM research

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UKCRC Experimental Medicine Funders Group

Membership

  • Dr Declan Mulkeen, Chair, Medical Research Council (MRC)
  • Dr Cyril Clarke, Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries (ABPI)
  • Dr Mike Wood, Bioindustry Association BIA
  • Professor Peter Weissberg, British Heart Foundation BHF
  • Dr Sally Burtles, Cancer Research UK (CRUK)
  • Dr Alison Spaull, Chief Scientist Office Scotland (CSO)
  • Professor Bernie Hannigan, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland (HSC R&D)
  • Dr Susan Denman, Health Department Wales (WORD)
  • Dr Catherine Elliott, Medical Research Council (MRC)
  • Dr Louise Wood, Department of Health (England)
  • Dr Helen Campbell, Department of Health (England)
  • Dr John Williams, Wellcome Trust
  • Professor William Rosenberg, NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI)

Secretariat

  • Roberts, Medical Research Council (MRC)

 

Terms of reference

The Experimental Medicine (EM) Funders Group brings together the major stakeholders within the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) and more broadly, that influence experimental medicine research in the UK, including governmental, public sector, charitable and commercial funding bodies.

 

The EM Funders Group will operate as a partner led model convened by the MRC and will:

  • Meet three times a year.
  • Report formally to the UKCRC Board.
  • Share and/or jointly develop high level strategies for supporting EM in the UK to enhance;
    • The UK as a world leader in EM research;
    • Effective and efficient support for EM facilities and infrastructure; and
    • The development and retention of a strong pool of appropriately skilled experts able to undertake EM research and in a range of related disciplines necessary to underpin experimental medicine
  • Promote the field of experimental medicine; and the UK as an excellent environment to undertake such research.
  • Encourage approaches to support sharing best practice and appropriate joint work on scientific or technical challenges (e.g. cohesive networking of EM investigators and facilities, cross-centre co-operation to deliver scientifically challenging studies).
  • Foster appropriate academic-NHS-industry links in experimental medicine;
  • Commission, coordinate and/or jointly undertake projects of common interest, in the areas of strategy, evaluation, resource provision, promotion or networking as needed.

 

Activities

Building on a framework of activities fostered by the UKCRC

The EM Funders Group has more recently commissioned a key project to map current clinical research imaging in the UK. The UKCRC partners which include the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the UK Departments of Health, have asked the Experimental Medicine team within the NIHR Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre (CRN CC) to oversee this project.

 

This Clinical Research Imaging project aims to comprehensively map the infrastructure and related support environment for imaging across the UK. The imaging technologies addressed in this project will focuses exclusively on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerised tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET).

 

The outcome of this survey and the subsequent report will act as a baseline to inform UK research funders’ future strategic planning and enable them to consider how best to maximise their investments.

 

The project centres around the completion of a questionnaire (as a web-survey) to capture the following information:

  • The number, funder, age and technical specification of MRI, PET (including PET-CT) and CT scanners available (and planned) at different sites (Universities, NHS Trusts and the commercial sector) across the UK;
  • The setting and support (i.e. cost recovery) mode for each facility;
  • The current usage (percentage of full capacity) for clinical service, clinical academic research and commercial research;
  • Management structures;
  • Its availability to internal and external research groups;
  • The numbers and types of enabling support (on/off site) (e.g. GMP pharmacy, radio-isotope labelling units, cyclotrons and informatics) and research staff (e.g. biomedical scientists, physicists and pharmacists) involved;
  • The nature of the research undertaken i.e. early/ later phase clinical research and disease areas.

 

Read the Report on Clinical Imaging Facilities and the EMFG Response here.