Biomedical boost for North West

DEVELOPMENT of the North West as a base for high-tech healthcare and clinical research took a step forward as 150 international scientists and researchers attended a sell-out conference marking the inaugural year of C-TRIC, the award-winning Londonderry-based translational medicine project.

Experts from both sides of the Atlantic including academics, healthcare practitioners and pharmaceutical industry figures visited Londonderry to deliver papers and presentations about the latest advances in the sector, which is a multi-million dollar industry in the United States.

C-TRIC (Clinical Translational Research and Innovation Centre) has been developed as a joint partnership between the University of Ulster, the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) and Derry City Council, with funding provided by ILEX urban regeneration company and Invest Northern Ireland. It is the only facility of its type in Britain or Ireland.

Two leading American innovators addressed the conference. They were Dr Susan Whoriskey, who was recently appointed an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the internationally-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology Entrepreneurship Center and Trung Do, who is Executive Director of Business Development at Partners HealthCare.

Dr Whoriskey said: "I am delighted to have been invited to contribute to this Translational Medicine Conference. I was very impressed on my visit to C-TRIC and Northern Ireland is lucky to have such a Centre.

“I have never seen such an excellent convergence of facilities, expertise and partnership under one roof as is present in C-TRIC ."

Trung Do added: "As a member of C-TRIC's International Advisory Board I am delighted to see the progress that has been made in the past year.

“The Centre provides an excellent opportunity for both local and international companies wishing to exploit the connection between Northern Ireland's world class Health, Business and Academic sectors, and is a wonderful asset for the Region.

“The Translational Medicine Conference provides an excellent opportunity for us to get together and develop projects, many of which could benefit from the expertise and facilities on offer at C-TRIC."

Dr Maurice O'Kane, Chief Executive of C-TRIC and Head of Research and Development, Western Trust said: “There is something really interesting and exciting happening in clinical research in the North West at the moment. The degree to which different organisations have worked together on this important initiative is unique.

“This Translational Medicine Conference demonstrates how in partnership we can play a vital role in translating medical advances from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside.

“This is an essential step that will ultimately lead to improving the care we offer patients and the public."

One of the chief speakers Professor Jim McLaughlin of the University of Ulster said: “From 2000 until 2050, the world's population aged 60 and over will more than triple from 600 million to 2 billion.

“This demographic change has several implications for public health. Good health is essential for older people to remain independent and to play a part in family and community life.”