NIHR Leeds BRC Director, Professor Philip Conaghan, recently spoke with Health Innovation Leeds about the BRC’s role in establishing Leeds as a prominent centre for research excellence.
Philip highlighted Leeds BRC’s achievements over the past 15 years and future goals, focusing on pioneering work in musculoskeletal conditions. This includes revolutionising care for rheumatoid arthritis and early inflammation treatment to improve patient outcomes.
The BRC is also trialling new treatments for osteoarthritis pain by repurposing methotrexate and collaborating with industry partners on novel therapies.
Philip’s interview also highlights the importance of the BRC’s research now covering cardiometabolic disease, surgical technologies, haematology, pathology, and antimicrobial resistance and infection.
This is crucial for supporting people with long-term health conditions and aligning with the BRC’s mission to improve disease prevention.
“With increasing numbers of people living with multiple long-term health conditions and the simultaneous skyrocketing pressures on our limited healthcare resources, focusing research on disease prevention is vital.”
“What clinical challenges today do we want to solve for tomorrow? And how can we be confident that we are understanding and solving the real, daily challenges for people who are least able to access healthcare or participate in research?”
Professor Philip Conaghan, Director of NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre
Philip also stressed the importance of involving underserved communities in research, particularly through the BRC’s commitment to engagement, involving patients at every step, and redesigning recruitment processes to foster a diverse and representative cohort of researchers.
Looking ahead, Philip emphasised the need to accelerate the deployment of new treatments and strengthen the link between academia and healthcare to enhance lives through advanced care.
You can read the full interview via the Health Innovation Leeds website.