Leeds NIHR Biomedical Research Centre

This application, led by a strong partnership between the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) and the University of Leeds (UoL), builds on sustained excellence in translational musculoskeletal research that has underpinned our successful BRU/C since 2008.

It proposes an exciting step-change in our ambition, addressing urgent clinical challenges of an ageing population and the reality that patients do not live with just one disease but multiple conditions.

Produced in collaboration with our patients, it capitalises on today s technologies: advances in our ability to identify disease early (diagnosis); detecting changes in the human body as a result of disease (pathology); applying technology therapeutically (e.g. surgery using robots to treat gastro-intestinal cancers); using computers to perform tasks traditionally requiring humans (artificial intelligence [AI] such as using images to increase the accuracy of diagnosing conditions).

These will improve patient outcomes and quality of care.

Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing by accelerating diagnosis, enabling early treatment that is personalised for each patient and, where possible, prevent disease and infection.

It builds on Leeds sustained excellence in translational research and industry partnership in musculoskeletal disease (MSKD), heart disease, cancer and infection.

It is driven by the need to address the grand challenges of an ageing, multi-morbid population (which underpins our research themes) and health inequalities highlighted in our region.

Cancer, cardiovascular and infectious disease are the largest cause of death for the ~25% of the population who live in the most deprived area of Leeds.

This application formalises our partnership with the University of York (UoY) with their expertise in blood-related cancers.

The goal of the BRC is that all activities are: Patient-led (prioritising, designing and conducting research) Cost-effective, designed for individual patients, and can be rapidly adopted into practice Collaborative, enabling researchers to maximise research quality and impact Undertaken within an ecosystem that places pride on research culture, respectful of our values of equity and inclusivity.

Developed to attract, nurture, support and retain future leaders The BRC will comprise six, inter-related themes: Musculoskeletal Disease: will identify people at-risk of developing rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis to: prevent them from developing these conditions; and develop individually targeted, cost-effective treatments for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.

Cardiometabolic Disease: will discover new principles for detecting and treating heart disease, particularly in terms of complications from diabetes.

Surgical Technologies: will develop and apply new surgical technologies to: provide more precise surgery that is tailored to the biology of the underlying disease; improve healing of bone and soft tissues; and limit disability following orthopaedic surgery.

Haematology: will identify the determinants of poor outcomes, enabling development of personalised-treatment strategies for blood-related cancers.

Pathology: using AI and screening advances, we will improve the accuracy and speed of bowel diagnosis, enabling early and more effective treatment.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection: will accurately identify patients at risk of antibiotic resistant infections; ensure our existing antibiotics are working; and develop new infection treatments.