Our Research

The central focus of the Institute of Human Development (IHD) is to examine the key role that genetic and systems biology knowledge plays in our understanding of an individual's health and disease, how this will influence future healthcare provision across the NHS and how identification of relevant genetic, protein and metabolic factors will provide information regarding risk, natural history and therapeutic targets. Specifically, the complementarity between IHD and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) supports the evolution of 'personalised medicine' in the NHS by:

• Enhancing disease diagnosis and management
• Improving choice of treatment and treatment response (pharmacogenetics)
• Supporting molecular diagnosis in clinical research
• Examining public and professional attitudes to personalised medicine

The Institute of Human Development has a strong complementarity within MAHSC, enabling a focus upon approaches that bridge both early and late translational gaps. The clinical specialties encompassed by the two are largely but not exclusively situated in the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, further facilitating immediate translation. The five Centres within the Institute direct their expertise as follows:

Endocrinology and Diabetes

The Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes operates across Faculties at The University of Manchester, bringing expertise that spans from clinical patient-orientated research to basic research at the laboratory bench and includes in-vivo modelling.

Genomic Medicine

The Genetic Medicine and Paediatric Metabolic services provide care to >6,500 new patients and 5,000 review patients per year in clinics across the North of England (population >12million). The service is nationally commissioned to provide services for the care of families affected by Neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2, lysosomal storage disorders and retinoblastoma. The unified molecular, cytogenetic and biochemical genetics laboratory process >36,000 samples per year, plus 50,000 newborn screens. Genetic Medicine encompasses the National Genetics Reference Laboratory, hosts the European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (EMQN) providing quality assurance to over 1100 laboratories worldwide.

Hearing and Vision Research

The expertise in this centre ranges from clinical and imaging research through to laboratory-based research into the molecular mechanisms underpinning eye disease.

Paediatrics and Child Health

The Paediatric centre aims to deliver research in priority areas of child health that will lead to improvements in the health and welfare of all children. The research expects to include basic science approaches, identification of mechanisms of disease, early and later phase clinical trials, pharmacovigilance, and psychosocial approaches to disease management.

Women's Health

The emphasis in this area is on multidisciplinary research linking forefront discovery science through to qualitative research, clinical studies and trials (phases 1-4). The focus is both local, but also on the national and global aspects of Women's Health.

• Nuclease Immune Mediated Brain and Lupus-like conditions (NIMBL)
• Early Neuropathy Assessment (ENA)