50 active years after 50: increasing the quality of our second half-century
A £50 million research initiative, aimed at giving people ’50 active years after 50’ is being launched by the University of Leeds.
Recent research, published in The Lancet, found that more than half of babies now born in the UK and other wealthy nations will live to 100 years. But while improvements in healthcare, diet and lifestyle are helping us to live longer, our bodies are still degenerating with age, reducing our quality of life and our ability to contribute to society.
50 active years after 50 is responding to this trend by developing new medical devices and regenerative therapies, ensuring that people can continue to be as active during their second half century as they were in their first.
The research will focus on those areas most affected as we age - our joints, spine, teeth, heart and circulation - developing new technologies for tissue engineering and regeneration, longer lasting joint replacements and spinal interventions
The programme will also accelerate the translation of new discoveries into clinical practice. Over its first five years, it plans to develop ten new products and halve the time it takes to get new products to market.
The initiative will be coordinated by the University of Leeds Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (iMBE), the country's largest bioengineering unit and a world-leading research centre for artificial joint replacements. The Institute's research has already benefited tens of thousands of individuals over the past 15 years.
Funded through research councils, charities and industry, 50 active years after 50 will bring together researchers in engineering, computing, chemistry, physics, biology, dentistry and medicine with practicing clinicians and medics and industrial partners from all over the UK and beyond. The initiative includes two major projects - the £10m Innovation & Knowledge Centre in Regenerative Therapies and Devices and the £11m Wellcome EPSRC Leeds Medical Engineering Centre.
Further information from:
Clare Elsley, Campuspr: tel +44 (0)113 258 9880, mob: +44 (0)7767 685168, email: clare@campuspr.co.uk
Simon Jenkins, University of Leeds Press Office: tel +44 (0)113 343 5764, email s.jenkins@leeds.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
1. The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise showed the University of Leeds to be the UK's eighth biggest research powerhouse. The University is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The University's vision is to secure a place among the world's top 50 by 2015.
2. The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Leeds is ranked 7th* in the UK for the quality of its research (2008 Research Assessment Exercise); an impressive 75% of the Faculty's research activity rated as internationally excellent or world leading.
With 700 academic and research staff and 3,000 students the Faculty is a major player in the field with a track record of experience across the full spectrum of the engineering and computing disciplines. The Faculty of Engineering is home to five schools: civil engineering; computing; electronic and electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; process, environmental and materials engineering.
Two thirds of students are undergraduates with the remaining third split evenly between taught masters and research degrees. The Faculty attracts staff and students from all around the world; one third of students are from outside the UK and representing over 90 different nationalities. www.engineering.leeds.ac.uk/