Major funding boost for eye research

A University of Bristol Immunology and Ophthalmology research group have become a partner in a specialist National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre with Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.

The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) announced last month the allocation of £800 million of government funding to biomedical research centres and units across the UK.

Professor Andrew Dick, University of Bristol Faculty Research Director for Medicine and Dentistry and Head of the Academic Unit of Ophthalmology in the School of Clinical Sciences, played a key role in the application with Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology for a Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) for Ophthalmology, which was supported by the award of £26.5 million over five years.

Professor Dick will lead the inflammation and immunotherapeutics theme, one of six major strands in the bid, bringing significant new investment in ophthalmology research to Bristol.  The research group in Bristol will support the other major innovative themes such as gene therapy and ocular imaging.

Professor Dick, speaking about the funding, said: “This is a major funding boost for eye research.  The award will support our endeavours in experimental medicine, creating between the sites an unparalleled platform of both scientific and clinical resource in the field of ocular inflammation.”

The award is significantly higher than was anticipated and followed an application to the Department of Health earlier this summer, which was assessed by an international selection panel.