MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh

Abnormalities associated with reproductive system and reproductive processes are common in modern society affecting both man and women. They result in major physical and psychological burden on many individuals. They also have huge impact on UK health system and economy. A few representative examples include: endometriosis which affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age in the UK and cost the UK economy £8.2 billion a year in treatment, loss of work and healthcare costs; stillbirth - there are more than 3,600 stillbirths every year in the UK, and one in every 200 births ends in a stillbirth; and ovarian cancer that in UK alone kills nearly 12 women every day. Importantly, reproductive health problems are often linked to lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity, but these links are not completely understood. The Medical Research Council - Centre for Reproductive Health in Edinburgh (MRC-CRH) is the only UK-based reproductive health/biology centre that brings together basic scientists, diagnosticians and clinicians specialising in health, biology and pathology of reproductive system and reproductive processes at all levels: from genes and molecules to population based studies and lifestyle-disease links. The Centre is located in the world-renowned Queen's Medical Research Institute in the direct proximity of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (a teaching hospital for the University of Edinburgh Medical School run by NHS Lothian), a few other top class research institutions and a commercialisation incubator (Edinburgh BioQuarter). This optimises the use of resources, increases interdisciplinary collaborations and enhances commercialisation activities. Over the past five years the Centre grew significantly in both staff numbers and its research output and proved its value to society, for example, a single "STOPPIT" study on efficiency of progesterone treatment in preterm birth prevented 11,000 patients from painful ineffective treatment in the UK alone saving NHS £25M annually. Within the next five years we intend to build on our past achievements to boost MRC-CRH research/education potential and infrastructure of the Centre. The main aims of this project are to (i) consolidate and reinforce MRC-CRH scientific activities, (ii) increase the Centre's educational role, and (iii) enhance interactions of the Centre's investigators and students with patients, medical practitioners and general public, rising awareness about reproductive health conditions and other topics related to our research. MRC funds will be used to (a) purchase specialised equipment that will increase research capability and open new frontiers for future investigations (micro-injection and oocyte handling, sophisticated interference and fluorescent microscopy), (b) recruit necessary expert personnel in imaging technology, database management/bioinformatics and scientific communication to sustain/expand our research capacity and outreach activities, (c) establish a top quality PhD programme in reproductive health/biology for clinical and non-clinical scientists. It is our ambition through another five years of MRC funding to maintain and expand our world-class research into new areas including cancers of the reproductive tract, the effects of life-style (obesity, smoking etc.) on reproductive health and proliferative disorders of the reproductive system. It is our aim that our discoveries will impact the health and well-being of the Nation's population through their entire life-span. This improvement in health will have significant consequences for individuals, families and the society in general with noticeable economic benefits.