'A huge advancement for clinical research': Ulster University secures £490k Wolfson Grant to advance personalised medicine
First Wolfson Foundation award in over 40 years will fund new multi-omics lab, boosting disease research and student training at Altnagelvin Hospital site
Ulster University has been awarded almost half a million pounds to boost personalised medicine research.
Its Personalised Medicine Centre has secured a £490,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation to establish a multi-omics laboratory at its base within the C-TRIC (Clinical Translational Research & Innovation Centre) building on the Altnagelvin Hospital site.
This is the first time the university has received funding from the Wolfson Foundation since 1980.
Part of the School of Medicine, the Personalised Medicine Centre aims to develop clinical tools and therapies tailored to a person's unique genetic and molecular profile. The new lab will enhance the centre's capacity for high-throughput genetic, proteomic and data-driven research – essential tools for understanding complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
The funding aims to support collaboration with the life sciences industry in Northern Ireland and beyond and will also expand training opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Dr Catriona Kelly, senior lecturer at Ulster University's School of Medicine, said: "This investment represents a huge advancement for clinical research in the North West.
"The Multi-Omics Lab will allow us to deepen our understanding of disease mechanisms and accelerate the development of targeted therapies.
"We're proud to be advancing research that will directly benefit patients while also training the next generation of scientists.”
Established in 2013, the Personalised Medicine Centre is a research-intensive institute which exploits cutting edge data analytic approaches to make novel discoveries across a range of chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, childhood cancers and musculoskeletal diseases.
Jessica Warner, head of funding at the Wolfson Foundation, added: "The centre is already building up vital population level data for the region, and this funding will enable Ulster's clinical researchers to accelerate vital discovery science in a range of diseases and conditions."
Professor Liam Maguire, pro vice chancellor of research at Ulster University, added: "This new multi-omics lab strengthens Ulster University's role in advancing personalised healthcare and tackling complex diseases through world-class research. We are grateful to the Wolfson Foundation for their vital support in making this possible."