The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and NIHR Oxford Health BRC are holding their joint Open Day from 10am to 3.30pm. There will be up to 40 interactive stands showcasing the latest developments in how we diagnose and treat heart disease or stroke, mental health issues, diabetes, cancer, dementia and many other conditions.
The Open Day will be officially opened in the Westgate’s Leiden Square at 10am by Oxford BRC Director Professor Helen McShane and Oxford Health BRC Director Professor John Geddes.
Professor McShane said: “This is our annual event where we invite the public to come and speak directly to our researchers and find out about what we are doing to expand our understanding of medical conditions and technologies so that we can improve diagnosis, treatment and care for NHS patients.
“This is always a fun event - our researchers really enjoy showing members of the public what they are doing. And it’s also fantastic when those members of the public and patients decide that they want to get involved in our clinical trials – those willing participants from our local area are absolutely vital in helping us to push the boundaries of medical science, and help us to make sure our research genuinely meets the needs of our communities.
Professor Geddes added: “As Helen says, this is a really exciting annual event where we explain the BRCs’ research to the general public and look forward to getting them involved in our studies. We are delighted to be partnering with the Oxford BRC to show how we work together to bring Oxford's formidable range of skills and expertise across 26 scientific themes to bear on the most pressing challenges to human health.
“We hope that as many people as possible will drop by – even a brief visit will give them a good idea of the range of research that's being conducted in the BRCs.”
NIHR BRCs are collaborations between universities and NHS organisations that bring together academics and clinicians to translate scientific breakthroughs into potential new treatments, diagnostics and medical technologies that benefit NHS patients.
The NIHR Oxford BRC is a partnership between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust; the NIHR Oxford Health BRC is a partnership between the University and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the UK’s largest funder of health and care research.