£32m Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine opens at Queen’s University Belfast

by Gráinne Connolly

A new experimental medicine centre which aims to try and find cures for eye disease, diabetes and genetic illnesses has opened at Queen's University, Belfast. 

The £32m building is known as the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine. 

It's been funded by both the University and the Institute. 

The building was officially opened today (Friday 14 September) by Sir Paul Nurse, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physiology in 2001.

Professor Jose Bengoechea, Centre Director at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen’s, commented:

“I'm delighted to see this investment in Northern Ireland and specifically at Queen’s University. 

"Experimental medicine is about uncovering the intricacies of disease close to the patients, allowing a fast-track road to clinical application to benefit society.  This approach represents a step-change to more effectively tackle global health challenges.”

The building is made up of high-tech laboratories placed around a central, spacious and light-filled atrium.

This facilitates a collaborative working environment enabling Queen’s researchers to tackle global health issues and improve patient outcomes.

At the Institute, world-loading researchers focus on the development and treatment of new avenues for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of major public health problems that affect millions of people globally.

That includes eye disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetic complications, cardiovascular disease, antibiotic resistance and common lung illnesses such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis and pneumonia.

The Institute received generous funding from; The Atlantic Philanthropies, Insight Trust for the Visually Impaired, The Queen’s University of Belfast Foundation, The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust, UK Research Partnership Investment Fund, Wellcome, The Wolfson Foundation and Legacy gifts.

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said:

“The Wolfson Foundation is delighted to be supporting an Institute that will allow such a wide-range of excellent quality research – all with a clear clinical focus.

"The funding that we provided was part of a fruitful funding partnership programme with our friends and partners at the Wellcome Trust.

“In a wider sense the Foundation are very keen to encourage applications from Northern Ireland for all of our funding programmes and are pleased to have provided significant investment over the last few years – from research infrastructure to hospices, museums and schools.”