The University of Leeds has strengthened its research collaboration with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin signed a ‘Healthtech Bridge’ agreement with Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell in 2024. It focuses on trade, investment and knowledge sharing.
Now both universities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on engineering research. The partnership also includes cultural exchange elements, alongside opportunities for both students and researchers.
The partnership builds on areas of focus for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) – Nashville partnership.
This deepening cooperation between our universities will transform the lives of patients, put more money in people’s pockets, and help us create a stronger, better-off West Yorkshire.
Professor Hai Sui Yu, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leeds, said: “We look forward to building on 2024’s successful trade mission to Nashville with the West Yorkshire delegation, and are committed to the sharing of knowledge across our two great cities.
“The University is planning to expand our partnership with Vanderbilt beyond engineering and develop a joint degree to enhance the opportunity for our researchers and students to collaborate on a global scale.
“This commitment to research cooperation builds on our shared passion for tackling global challenges by harnessing academic excellence.”
Professor Krishnendu Roy, Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering at Vanderbilt University, said: “Our shared commitment with the University of Leeds builds on strengths of both institutions in engineering and health technology to advance research that can improve lives globally.
“It also creates meaningful opportunities for our students and researchers to engage across borders, gaining the experience and perspective needed to lead in an increasingly interconnected world.”
The agreement between West Yorkshire and Nashville has enabled closer working between the two regions on digital health, MedTech, personalised medicine, health services delivery, biotechnology, health care innovation and artificial intelligence (AI).
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “West Yorkshire and Nashville are two of the world’s leading developers of health technology, driving the creation of good jobs locally and transforming patient care worldwide.
“Our successful trade mission to the United States has put in place the partnerships we need to share ideas, spark new innovations and strengthen our unrivalled healthtech sector.
“This deepening cooperation between our universities will transform the lives of patients, put more money in people’s pockets, and help us create a stronger, better-off West Yorkshire.”
The universities have a long-standing collaboration in robotics research, led by Professor Pietro Valdastri, Chair in Robotics and Autonomous Systems in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Leeds and Professor Keith Obstein at Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering.
Both universities have a STORM Lab, which spans several fields of surgical robotics with historical links. At Leeds, the laboratory focuses on medical capsule robots, robotic endoscopy, soft surgical robots, affordable medical devices and autonomy in robotic surgery.
The engineering partnership is driven forward by Gabriel Luis, Assistant Dean for Global Engagement at Vanderbilt and Professor Rob Sturman, Pro-Dean International in Leeds’ Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, with further collaboration in semiconductors and high frequency electronics being explored.
The regional agreement in Nashville has also resulted in a reciprocal partnership with Nexus, the University’s innovation hub, and the Nashville Chamber of Commerce (NCC) to support cross-border innovation, entrepreneurship and business growth.
Barry Singleton, Engagement Manager at Nexus, said: “The catalyst for our collaboration with Nashville, started here at Nexus following a visit from the NCC to Leeds in 2023. Following this our relationship further developed with WYCA and the NCC to where we are today.
“This partnership enables both cities to establish ourselves as a base for businesses looking to expand into both UK and US markets.
“In turn, this creates opportunities for direct engagement with US startups and scaleups and the building of relationships with investors and innovation leaders to accelerate impactful ideas.”
Further information
For more information, please contact Rebecca Hurrey at r.hurrey@leeds.ac.uk in the University of Leeds press office.
Picture credit: Vanderbilt University.