Edinburgh data centre to boost respiratory research and innovation

A new data research centre, coordinated from Edinburgh, will help to improve the lives of people living with respiratory conditions.

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Image of lungs
BREATHE will address conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections.

The centre, known as BREATHE – Health Data Research Hub for Respiratory Health at the University of Edinburgh, will use data to advance the development of new treatments and innovations in care delivery.

Experts say BREATHE will position the UK at the forefront of what is known as digitally-enabled respiratory health, and will benefit the NHS, patients and industry.

UK-wide network for health-related data research

BREATHE is one of seven new hubs led by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK).

The hubs are part of a four-year £37million investment from the Government Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), led by UK Research and Innovation.

The aim is to create a UK-wide network for the safe and responsible use of health-related data on a large scale.

More than 100 organisations across health and care, patient groups, universities, charities, and companies will be involved.

Open competition

The hubs were selected following an open competition by an independent panel involving patient and public representatives, clinicians, academics and industry. 

They were assessed against criteria that included the potential for impact, the innovative uses of data, plans for patient and public involvement, and the value for public funding. 

Professor Aziz Sheikh, Director of BREATHE, said:  

The hub will support high-quality research and cutting-edge innovation that will improve the lives of people living with respiratory conditions in the UK.

We are delighted to be working with HDR UK to kick-start the responsible use of respiratory rich datasets in research and innovation to transform respiratory health in the UK.

Further information

Please contact: Guy Atkinson, Press and PR Office, tel 0131 650 6357; email guy.atkinson@ed.ac.uk

Related links

BREATHE

Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh