A network for advanced research in the medical and biological sciences
The mission of this research network is to promote collaborations which grow science and technology within STFC towards biology and medicine. It will act as a portal for introducing biomedical researchers to the technologies available within STFC, and align internal developments with the needs of the biomedical community. It has been recognized by both STFC and external researchers, that the current involvement of STFC in medical science and technology is limited.
Furthermore, a situation now exists which means that funding from the major medically related research council such as the Medical Research Council (MRC), National Health Service (NHS) and the medical charities are not accessible from within STFC. The BioMed Network hopes to surmount the barriers through collaboration within the research themes proposed below.
Within STFC we have an array of scientific programmes, technologies and techniques available to achieve this goal. There are programmes already underway to push the developments towards biomedically useful techniques and biomedically relevant information harvesting. It is clear that to plan for the future STFC needs to further develop its support for the life sciences. Traditionally we are an organisation based in the physical sciences, as this area originally set the demands for large facilities. Now we see those facilities being exploited equally by both physical and life sciences.
The opportunity now exists through initiatives such as this network, to fully exploit the changing scientific scene. Biomedical sciences will continue to benefit from tools and techniques developed for other disciplines, especially with the support exemplified by this research network fund. Underpinning the medical sciences is fundamental research on related biological systems. So research on relevant biological problems will be an important aspect of the work in each of the theme areas. Outside the laboratories there has been a massive growth in biomedical technology in both academia and the private sector.
As a consequence it seems likely that this area more than any other, may provide the scientific drivers for new facilities that the STFC will nurture and manage in the future.
