Cross-sector consortium brings precision medicine centre to Leeds
LEEDS is set to welcome a centre of excellence in precision medicine to the city.
The Leeds Academic Health Partnership, in conjunction with the government, will help advance diagnostic tests to understand patients’ diseases and symptoms more precisely to select better treatments.
The Leeds centre will run alongside other similar centres in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Oxford.
The LAHP is a consortium that brings together ten statutory organisations in Leeds, including the city’s six NHS organisations, its three universities and Leeds City Council.
Sir Alan Langlands, chair of the Leeds Academic Health Partnership, said: “This is the first major success for the Leeds Academic Health Partnership and we are delighted that the city has been chosen to be a regional centre of excellence in precision medicine.
“We look forward to bringing wide-ranging research to bear in the field of precision medicine, ensuring better health and better care for people in Leeds and the wider region.”
It will be a hub for Cambridge-headquartered Precision Medicine Catapult’s regional activities.
The Precision Medicine Catapult is a UK Government initiative established and part-funded through Innovate UK.
The centres of excellence will work on locally driven programmes and use the Precision Medicine Catapult network to harness the breadth of UK expertise, developing innovative technologies and solutions for broader use across the UK’s healthcare sector.
John McKinley, chief executive of the Precision Medicine Catapult, said: “We’re delighted to announce the location of these centres of excellence, each with access to a unique blend of regional expertise. Project development work has been ongoing across the UK and we will be launching offices and related programmes over the coming months.
“As well as growing the UK’s strong position in precision medicine, we believe our network will deliver health and economic impact at a local and national level.”
Innovate UK chief executive Ruth McKernan said: “It is important that we draw on the UK’s research and clinical expertise in precision medicine from across the country. Understanding which types of patients will benefit most from treatments requires effective use of diagnostic testing and data-based insights.
“The Precision Medicine Catapult’s reach to patients for clinical trials purposes will be enhanced through the national network of centres of excellence.”
