The Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the MS Society have joined forces to fund a three year Clinical Research Fellowship to carry out translational research into basic or clinical aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS).
The collaboration will support the research of Dr Oliver Leach, based within the Department of Clinical Neurology in the University of Oxford. More than £180,000 investment will be provided through a partnership between the MS Society and Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.
The Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (OxBRC) is a partnership between the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Oxford. It was founded in April 2007 through a competitively awarded grant from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The aim of the OxBRC is that high quality training, research and healthcare delivery drive each other and are co-dependent. The OxBRC connects different scientific disciplines, healthcare professionals and patients to advance medical research and healthcare delivery.
Professor Keith Channon, Director of the OxBRC, said: “Funding this research post in partnership with the MS Society shows our commitment to working with other allied organisations to carry out translational research that improves healthcare and ultimately benefits patients.”
There are approximately 100,000 people with MS living in the UK. The MS Society is the UK’s largest charitable funder of MS research and is dedicated to supporting people affected by MS.
Dr Doug Brown, head of biomedical research at the MS Society said: “Research into MS is vital if we are to understand the causes of MS and work towards better treatments for people living with the condition. This collaboration will not only support research into MS but it is aimed at attracting and retaining the next generation of clinical academics which is essential in order to translate research findings into new treatments for people with MS.”