Cambridge University is one of three new university and business partnerships receiving a total of £50 million of public investment in research projects to drive innovation and growth.

The successful funding bid, led by Prof Ken Smith, will develop world-leading research into immunology and infectious diseases. This project, The Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, will bring together a broad range of key industry partners to achieve three inter-related ambitions: to drive therapeutic breakthroughs in immune-related diseases; to explore new strategies for the control of globally important pathogens; and to increase the likelihood of discovering important, high-value, new medicines in the UK by enhancing interactions between academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The chief areas of effort will be in autoimmune and inflammatory disease – for example Type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease – and the looming threat posed by antimicrobial resistance.

Co-funding: £62.7 million. UKRPIF award: £25 million.
Partners: The University of Cambridge with AstraZeneca/MedImmune, GlaxoSmithKline, UCB/Celltech, Kymab and the Wellcome Trust.

Prof Ken Smith says: “The Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease will transform immunology and infection research in Cambridge, increasing scientific synergy by bringing together groups scattered across the campus and enabling significant new recruitment. The Institute will support both fundamental and translational research, will focus on the major problems of autoimmune/inflammatory disease and the increased global threat posed by pathogens, and will optimise the chance of making a real impact on human health by working closely with our industrial partners.”

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