Glasgow School of Medicine

The University of Glasgow has had a pioneering medical school since the early 18th Century. In todays era of the genomics revolution, Glasgow School of Medicine remains at the forefront of teaching, research and commercialisation. The School incorporates the Medical School, the Dental School and the Department of Nursing and Midwifery. It is one of the largest in Europe with over 2,000 students, 350 postgraduate researchers and over 120 PhD and MD students. Major research collaborations are in place with many blue-chip companies. Glasgows innovative problem-based curriculum leads the way in learning for the 21st Century, training doctors in the modern scientific complexity of diagnosis and treatment, yet developing inquiring minds capable of both incisive analysis and patient care and empathy.

Major research themes create world-class groupings of researchers which integrate leading edge scientists with skilled and practising clinicians. This allows the aligning of drug discovery and the development of innovative therapies with the highest standards of clinical testing which emphasise ethical practices and safety. Scotland has some of the highest rates of coronary heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancer in the world, and this has led to a particular focus on research in these important areas. The School of Medicine also benefits from collaboration with the city's major teaching hospitals on many projects exploiting the outputs of research, commercialising IPR and managing clinical trials from Phase I to Phase IV.

The School of Medicine offers a range of partnering opportunities for industry wishing to benefit from its activities, from collaborative research to establishing licensing agreements. The University also provides the professional support needed to maximise the returns to all parties. Partnering opportunities currently exist in the following areas:

licensing of current patents and know-how;
collaborative research in medical, biomedical and interdisciplinary areas;
clinical trials of drugs, devices and processes.

Research at the School of Medicine is organised on six multidisciplinary research themes which integrate and enhance the Schools research strengths. These themes are:

Cancer research aims to capitalise on fundamental studies in tumour biology and translate these developments into clinical practice. Major research interests are in:

Molecular and cellular biology in a range of tumours, with particular emphasis on aspects of genetic control and cell interactions; and
Cancer therapy, in particular the identification of new therapeutic targets, new delivery systems and aspects of drug resistance.

The world-renowned Beatson Oncology Centre is the second largest cancer treatment centre in the UK and houses the CRC-funded Clinical Trials Unit. The clinical groups represent a referral centre for a large population (2.7 million) and a particular strength is the concentration of several specialised treatment units based on extensive clinical practices, including breast cancer, melanoma, colorectal cancer, ovarian and testicular cancer and paediatric cancer.

The principal aims are to formulate novel prevention and treatment approaches, based on characteristics for the underlying biological mechanisms and thereafter to introduce these developments into clinical practice.

hypertension: where factors affecting inherited risk of high blood pressure have been identified and will be tested in new, major population-based studies;
stroke: where achievements in the introduction of new pharmacological treatments for stroke, coupled with the developments in brain injury research, place Glasgow in an unrivalled position internationally in clinical applications of neuroprotective treatment;
epidemiology and health service research: where several large population databases which have been developed are a major resource for the application of basic research;
cardiovascular genetics: where expertise in gene transfer and transgenic strategies has led to the development of basic studies on gene transfer and modification of expression in myocardium, endothelium and vascular smooth muscle.

the Clinical Research Initiative in Hearth Failure which investigates the clinical epidemiology of heart failure, its diagnosis and management, basic myocardial biology and the effects of heart failure on the peripheral and pulmonary vasculature;
the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS), a landmark clinical trial which showed, for the first time, that primary prevention with a lipid lowering drug led to a reduction in coronary events, decreased coronary mortality and fewer deaths from any cause. This research is currently being extended in the PROSPER Study, focusing on reducing the incidence of coronary episodes in the older population.

The Developmental Sciences Research Theme was established in 1992 to co-ordinate research and teaching in medical aspects of human development. The goals of the theme are to facilitate research activity into the molecular, genetic and physiological processes underlying development, ageing and disease.

The Clinical Neuroscience Research Group is comprised of clinical and applied scientists working together to translate an understanding of basic mechanisms of damage in the CNS and the role of genetic susceptibility into treatments for acute brain injury (stroke, head injury) and chronic neurological disease (inflammation, infection, malignancy).

In addition to the two existing internationally recognised groups in brain injury and neurovirology, new developments and wide collaborative networks have been developed in neuro-immunology and neuro-oncology. The Institute of Neurological Sciences provides a rich resource as one of the largest clinical units in Europe. The European Brain Injury Consortium (100 contributing Neurosurgical Units) has its co-ordinating centre in Glasgow. The translation of mechanistic concepts into clinical therapy requires extensive academic interactions with the pharmaceutical industry.

Research in this area aims to exploit the available multidisciplinary expertise in social and population science linked with clinical disciplines to improve health and health care in the West of Scotland.

health of populations (where a particular emphasis is placed on health effects of social deprivation);
clinical practice and provision of service (where the Nuffield Centre for Community Care Studies is the preferred location for much community care research in Scotland and is the source of definitive advice on appropriate research methods);
brain and behaviour;
young people, together with an active nursing research programme directly towards applied research into common medical conditions with the goal of introducing improvements into clinical practice.

This research theme includes Health of Communities, Public Health, Nursing, General Practice, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Community Care Studies and MRC Medical Sociology.

Research on the Infection and Immunity theme is directed towards fundamental studies in unravelling the molecular mechanisms in immune regulation and the translation of these developments into clinical practice.

Current research encompasses cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying development of the immune system and its subversion by pathogens, autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disorders. These aspects of immunology are complemented by research on the development of new strategies of vaccine design, tolerance induction, cytokine and gene therapy. State-of-the-art facilities include tissue culture, a confocal microscope, an EM suite, flow cytometers and a full range of pathological services together with expanded transgenic and gene targeting facilities. Research priorities centre on infection and immunity; inflammation; immune regulation; immunological tolerance and cell signalling.

Further information about the work and research of the School of Medicine, can be found at www.medicine.gla.ac.uk.

Research and Enterprise (R&E) is the entry point to the University for those in business and commerce. R&E welcomes contact from companies and other organisations, and can arrange partnering meetings with scientific staff. For further information please contact:

Brian McGeough, Commercialisation Manager
Research and Enterprise
University of Glasgow
10 The Square
GLASGOW G12 8QQ
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Fax:
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Web: www.gla.ac.uk/R-E