About us
Director, Professor Keith Channon
The NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford (OxBRC) is based at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and run in partnership with the University of Oxford. It was one of five centres funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) in 2007 through a competitively award grant of £57m over five years. Biomedical Research Centres are part of the Government’s initiative to improve the translation of basic scientific developments into clinical benefits for patients and to reinforce the position of the UK as a global leader in healthcare related research. The OxBRC is a partnership that brings together the research expertise of the University of Oxford and the clinical skills of staff of Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust with the aim of supporting translational research and innovation to improve healthcare for patients.
Oxford has long been at the forefront of medical research, whether it is the genetic and molecular basis of disease, the latest advances in neuroscience, or clinical studies in cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and others. Oxford also has one of the largest clinical trial portfolios in the UK and considerable expertise in taking discoveries from the lab into the clinic. In August 2011 Oxford BRC funded researchers were recognised for their outstanding contribution to healthcare research by the NIHR by being awarded £95m, an increase of 50%, to support translational research.
The Oxford BRC undertakes 'translational research', taking laboratory research into a clinical setting (from the bench to the bedside). This kind of research is about first-time studies of medical innovations in patients, which are intended to improve healthcare delivery for the benefit of all patients.
The Oxford BRC is an organisation characterised by creative connections and collaborative relationships. These are facilitated between different research themes, with other local research resources connected by the Strategic Partnership Board. Broader connections with other NIHR Biomedical Research Centres/units, Clinical Networks and experimental medical facilities have also been developed.
