Imperial BRC-funded Research Initiative Introduces New Health Programmes in Cumbria

Through the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (PCSM) Research Hub based within the University of Cumbria’s Institute of Health, and in partnership with North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC), we are driving forward innovation in healthcare research across the region. Thanks to a £1.2 million award from the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), we have launched seven collaborative health research projects – each funded at £50,000 over two years.

These projects, led jointly by University of Cumbria researchers and NCIC staff, are tackling some of Cumbria’s most pressing healthcare challenges. Their aim: to generate new evidence, improve care pathways, and lay the foundations for future research funding. Alongside these initiatives, our new research-training fellowships are building capacity and nurturing the next generation of clinical researchers – helping Cumbria remain at the forefront of health innovation.

The first cohort of funded projects (from January 2026 to December 2027) includes studies with direct relevance to local communities and patients. Amongst them:

A “prehabilitation” research project exploring whether exercise-based interventions prior to major cancer surgery can improve outcomes – especially for patients from remote and coastal communities where access to care can be challenging.
An investigation into potential under-diagnosis of heart failure in older populations – a feasibility study to assess screening among those of 65 years and above in Cumbria.
 A youth-led “co-research” project enabling young people across Cumbria to help shape future healthcare services.
Other timely studies include research into rural cancer inequalities, maternity care and maternal health inequalities, improved surgical planning through 3D-printed anatomy models, and evaluation of radiotherapy planning in urological care.

In parallel, the PCSM Research Hub has awarded a range of fellowships (MRes, Pre-Doctoral and PhD) to health professionals in Cumbria in order to support research capacity at the University of Cumbria and NCIC while fellows continue NHS practice.

For example, one PhD fellowship will explore whether exercise-based prehabilitation can improve physical and mental well-being for colorectal cancer patients in the region. Other fellowship projects include work on frailty screening and allied-health decision making, point-of-care testing in primary care, emergency triage decision making, children and young people’s eating disorders (ARFID), urgent and emergency care pathways, and palliative and end-of-life care communication.

Since many of our communities are rural or coastal, and health inequalities and barriers to accessing care are recognised as local challenges, these research projects are designed to meet Cumbria’s practical, real-world needs.

By embedding research locally, the PCSM Research Hub ensures that improvements in care, diagnosis and prevention are tuned to the realities of delivering NHS services across the county.

In addition, by investing in local health professionals and researchers – nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, scientists and clinicians- the PCSM Research Hub is helping to build long-term research capacity in Cumbria. This supports better staff recruitment, retention, more home-grown talent and leads to sustainable improvements in services for patients in the area.

This initiative will bring world-class health research directly to the communities we serve,” said Professor Jonathan Weber CBE, Co-Director of the PCSM Research Hub. “By supporting collaborative projects between the University and the NHS, we are bridging the gap between academic discovery and public benefit – ensuring that the research we do is shaped by and responds to the needs of patients and other members of the public in Cumbria.”

“Our aim is to support health professionals and researchers to lead collaborative projects that make a difference locally,” said Professor Sophie Day, Co-Director of the PCSM Research Hub. “We believe that embedding research in our communities is crucial to improving healthcare delivery, tackling inequality and shaping a healthier future for everyone across Cumbria.”

Trudie Davies, Chief Executive, NCIC“This year the Trust has welcomed our new PCSM medical students and now the PCSM-Research Hub is building our research capacity across the NHS workforce and allied workforce. This exciting programme is stimulating our staff and will lead to better clinical outcomes for our patients.”

Professor Karen Stansfield, Dean, Institute of Health, University of Cumbria “Our partnership with NCIC is critical to building the pipeline of well-trained clinical staff and other health researchers who are the future of high-quality care in the NHS in Cumbria.”

Professor Mark Thursz, Director, NIHR Imperial BRC “I am delighted to see this NIHR BRC initiative in Cumbria, building on Imperial’s world-class medical research, bringing new research opportunities to NHS patients in Cumbria through the PCSM.”

The PCSM-Research Hub will announce a new competition for the second round of collaborative research projects shortly. Over the next 12-24 months, the Hub will report the results of the first wave of project outputs, including early findings, grant applications and impact reports. The Hub also hosts regular public research Webinar series on the fourth Thursday of every month, bringing together medical scientists and clinicians to address topical health issues. These Webinars share research progress, engage with staff, students, patients and communities to offer a window into how health research is shaping the future of health care in Cumbria.