Grant winners

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

The MRC's translational stem-cell research scheme has awarded £4.7 million to seven new projects. The trials, which will look at various aspects of stem-cell biology, will focus on transplanting or stimulating patients' individual stem cells. Listed below are details of four early-stage clinical trials that have been made available, which will receive a total of nearly £3 million in funding.

Award winner: Tessa Holyoake

Institution: University of Glasgow

Developing drug combinations to eradicate chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) stem cells

Award winner: David Marsh

Institution: University College London

Using autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to treat human fractures

Award winner: Simon Pearce

Institution: Newcastle University

Reviving adrenocortical stem cells (ACSC) in autoimmune Addison's disease

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH

The NIHR's Health Technology Assessment programme produces independent research information on the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests for those who plan, provide or receive National Health Service care. Listed here are the June-July research grant award winners.

Award winner: David Burn

Institution: Newcastle University

Value: £2,037,487

Multicentre UK study of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil in early dementia associated with Parkinson's disease (MUSTARDD-PD)

Award winner: Mary Morrell

Institution: Clinical and Academic Unit of Sleep and Breathing, National Heart and Lung Institute

Value: £1,507,799

A randomised controlled trial of continuous positive airway pressure treatment in older people with obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (PREDICT)

Award winner: Monty Mythen

Institution: Portex Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Respiratory Unit, Institute of Child Health

Value: £1,362,835

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of early parenteral compared with early enteral nutritional support in critically ill patient study (CALORIES)

Award winner: Philippa Anne Logan

Institution: University of Nottingham

Value: £1,219,983

Getting out of the house: a multicentre trial to evaluate an outdoor-mobility intervention for people who have suffered a stroke

Award winner: Stefan Priebe

Institution: Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry

Value: £1,054,180

Financial incentives to improve adherence to anti-psychotic maintenance medication in non-adherent patients - a cluster randomised controlled trial

Award winner: Ruth Gilbert

Institution: University College London

Value: £1,712,753

Catheter infections in children - the CATCH trial

Award winner: Simon Gates

Institution: University of Warwick

Value: £ 2,176,422

A randomised controlled trial of the LUCAS mechanical compression/decompression device for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Award winner: Cathryn Glazener

Institution: University of Aberdeen

Value: £2,230,463

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of surgical options for the management of anterior and/or posterior vaginal wall prolapse: two randomised controlled trials. PROSPECT: prolapse surgery, pragmatic evaluation and randomised controlled trials

ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

Award winner: H.J. Stone

Institution: University of Cambridge

Value: £2,756,313

Structural metallic systems for advanced gas turbines

Award winner: P.A. Goddard

Institution: University of Oxford

Value: £608,965

What stabilises unconventional superconductivity?

IN DETAIL

Award winner: Francisco Figueiredo

Institution: Newcastle University

Using cultured limbal epithelial stem cells (LSC) to treat limbal stem-cell deficiency (LSCD)

This project aims to treat patients who are deficient in limbal stem cells, which are usually present in the eye. A lack of them can cause the outer layer of the cornea to break down, resulting in severe pain and blindness. Mr Figueiredo will grow limbal stem cells in the laboratory without the use of animal products, thus reducing the risk of disease transmission. He also aims to develop a freezing method to supply clinical-grade LSC for transplantation at other UK centres.