The University of Cambridge, in conjunction with the University of Antwerp, is leading a £25 million European Union research project into traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The scale of the research is unprecedented. Over 60 hospitals and 38 scientific institutes will participate in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in TBI project, which will collect data from 20,000 – 30,000 patients. The research is led by Professor David Menon, Department of Medicine / Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, and Professor Andrew Maas of the University Hospital Antwerp.

Says Professor Menon, “We need collaboration on this sort of scale to characterise TBI as a disease and to identify the most effective clinical interventions. There are many treatments that show promise, but what we’ve learned from clinical trials is that it’s unlikely any particular intervention is going to be effective in all patients. We need instead to think about customised healthcare based on knowledge of which treatment works best for whom and under what circumstances.”

Traumatic brain injury affects 10 million people a year worldwide and is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults.  Visit the project’s website to learn more.