University Of Leicester Gets £1m Life Sciences Investment Boost
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There could be substantial progress made in the life sciences sector in the Midlands after the University of Leicester secured a £1 million investment in the sector.
The College of Life Sciences at the university will be given funding from two Medical Research Council (MRC) schemes, including the Proximity to Discovery – for which it will receive £296,000 – and Confidence in Concept, with the remaining £767,000 being rewarded for this initiative.
Professor Philip Baker, pro-vice chancellor, head of college and dean of medicine at the University of Leicester, said the money will “make a real difference to our efforts to engage with industry partners”.
Business development manager Dr Riddhi Shukla added the funding will be very beneficial to both life science marketing experts and the researchers at the educational hub, stating: “[It] allows industrial partners an opportunity to learn more about how research is carried out at Leicester.”
The investment will be used to support collaborative research between scientists and industry professionals in order to create ‘real world’ advances in healthcare, and not just academic theories.
Leicester University has grand research ambitions, and the MRC funds will enable scientists to gain expertise and strength from organisations such as Life Sciences Opportunity Zone, Leicester Life Sciences Accelerator, Leicester Innovation Hub, and Leicester Skills Academy. It hopes this will have a positive impact on the life sciences sector in the UK.
The university is breaking ground in other scientific areas as well, and recently received £4.8 million from Research England to enhance studies in the British space industry. This will help the UK maintain a major role in space innovation for future discoveries.