Queen’s University Belfast: NICRF Hosts Showcase Days to Highlight Clinical Research Infrastructure
Based on U Floor at the Belfast City Hospital, The Wellcome Trust – Wolfson NI Clinical Research Facility, a joint venture with Queen’s University, Ulster University, Public Health Agency, Health and Social Care Research & Development (HSC R&D), and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, is a facility dedicated to clinical research with a core multidisciplinary team supporting the set up and delivery of trials across a wide range of disease areas.
The showcase events were attended by over 130 stakeholders from the local healthcare ecosystem, and involved a tour of the NICRF, alongside an exploration of the services available. Attendees heard from experts focused on the research that tackles the healthcare challenges relevant to the population of NI.
The tours ended with a presentation on iREACH Health – a new £64m integrated clinical research centre led by Queen’s in partnership with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and HSC R&D, opening in 2027. The NICRF will transition to iREACH Health over the next two years, as the innovation centre is delivered through the Belfast Region City Deal with investment from the UK Government, NI Executive and Queen’s.
iREACH Health, one of Queen’s three innovation centres, is crucial to NI fulfilling its ambition to be a global leader in Life and Health Sciences in the next decade, by creating a patient-centred, pro-innovation, and digitally enabled clinical research environment that is focused on addressing the priority healthcare challenges.
Professor Judy Bradley, Director of iREACH Health, said: “The showcase events were a great opportunity for us to highlight how the research we have delivered has transformed the lives of participants throughout NI as well as how the research impacts healthcare in NI. We’re now looking to the future of clinical trials with iREACH Health, where our team of experts will work to develop new diagnostics tests and new health technologies to treat patients. Our aim is to increase the equity of access to trials for the whole population of NI and we’re excited to work with our partners in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and HSC R&D.”
Staff also welcomed senior figures from Queen’s, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, and HSC R&D to view the NICRF.
Dr John Maxwell, Interim Medical Director at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, commented: “We were delighted to attend the showcase event with other members of the Belfast Trust Board to learn about the advancements in clinical research taking place at the NICRF. The importance of vibrant clinical research cannot be understated. iREACH Health is going to transform our clinical trials ecosystem to deliver better health and social care for the future benefit of all, and we’re proud to be a partner in this innovation centre.”
Dr Janice Bailie, Assistant Director, HSC R&D Division, said: “The recent event was a chance for us to learn about the fantastic clinical research that’s already happening here in NI and about how we’re going to grow that. iREACH Health is all about partnership and it will help bring more opportunities to the population to participate in health and social care research.”
Professor Ian Bruce, Queen’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, commented: “iREACH Health will be revolutionary in the impact it will have on the people of Northern Ireland. It will drive improvements in the health of the population, whilst also increasing NI’s global visibility. iREACH Health is crucial to NI fulfilling its ambition to be a region of choice for trials and a global leader in Life and Health Sciences in the next decade and beyond.”