World-leading researchers from the University of Liverpool have secured significant funding to support the development of the UK’s future healthcare research workforce through two major doctoral training programmes.
The University of Liverpool will lead MEDATA (Medicines and Health Data Science), supported by £12 million in funding from Wellcome and a further £1 million from Health Data Research UK (HDR UK). The £13 million PhD training programme will equip healthcare professionals with the skills needed to apply data science to medicine and healthcare.
Delivered in partnership with Health Data Research UK and the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and Strathclyde, the programme will train a new generation of Clinician Data Scientists from a range of healthcare professions. The initiative aims to address a growing skills gap by combining clinical expertise with advanced data science capabilities.
Data science has the potential to transform medicine and healthcare, but progress is dependent on developing a workforce capable of analysing increasingly large and complex health datasets. MEDATA will focus on medicines-related data science, training fellows to generate insights that can support the discovery of new medicines and improve the use of existing treatments.
The programme will bring together internationally recognised expertise from across the consortium and provide trainee-centred support, including bespoke mentoring and career development opportunities. Fellows will be trained to work in collaborative, computationally enabled research environments that promote innovation, inclusivity and interdisciplinary working, with bespoke knowledge mobilisation training provided through the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire & Humber.
Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, David Weatherall Chair of Medicine, NHS Chair of Pharmacogenetics at the University of Liverpool and co-director of the HDR UK Medicines in Acute and Chronic Care Driver Programme, said: “Data science is rapidly changing the way we understand disease and develop treatments, but we need healthcare professionals who can bridge the worlds of clinical practice and advanced analytics. MEDATA will create a new generation of clinician data scientists, equipped to use complex health data to improve medicines development and patient care. We are delighted to lead this outstanding partnership and help build the research workforce needed for the future of healthcare.”
Professor Sir Andrew Morris, Director of HDR UK, said: “We stand at the threshold of a remarkable new era in medicine. The convergence of digital, physical and biological technologies is transforming how we understand and treat disease. The medicines and treatments of tomorrow will depend on our ability to harness the extraordinary power of health data today. MEDATA will help ensure we have the skilled people needed to turn data into discovery, and discovery into better outcomes for patients.”
Meanwhile, Joanne Patterson, Professor of Speech & Language Therapy at the University of Liverpool’s School of Allied Health Professionals and Nursing, and Dr Simon Tew, Senior Lecturer in Orthopaedic Sciences, will play key roles in Forward North, a doctoral training programme for healthcare professionals led by the University of Manchester. The renewed programme builds on the success of 4Ward North and welcomes the University of Liverpool as a new partner alongside the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield, strengthening support for the next generation of healthcare professional researchers.
The renewed programme expands opportunities for healthcare professionals to pursue research careers through doctoral training, new pre-doctoral opportunities designed to widen participation in research, enhanced postdoctoral support and strengthened partnerships with organisations including the Nuffield Foundation, STEM Learning and the Francis Crick Institute.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration, mentoring, industry engagement and innovative training opportunities, Forward North will equip future research leaders to address some of the most significant health challenges facing communities across the North of England.
Professor Patterson and Dr Tew join the programme’s Strategic Executive Team playing a key role in candidate selection.
Dr Simon Tew said: “Forward North represents an important investment in the future of healthcare research. By bringing together the strengths of leading universities across the North of England, the programme will provide healthcare professionals with the support, training and collaborative opportunities they need to develop as researchers. Ultimately, this will help ensure that research and innovation continue to improve outcomes for patients and communities.”
Professor Patterson added: “Healthcare professionals across the North of England bring vital insight into the challenges facing our communities, yet too many remain excluded from clinical academic careers. Forward North presents a unique pre-doctoral pathway, combining research placements, targeted training and mentorship to unlock talent, build clinical academic capacity and develop future leaders capable of transforming care and reducing health inequalities.”
Together, the two programmes will help strengthen the UK’s healthcare research capacity by developing talented researchers at different stages of their careers and equipping them with the skills needed to tackle some of the most pressing health challenges facing society.