The Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) is a UK-wide initiative designed to tackle one of the most urgent health challenges of our time: drug-resistant infections.
This TRC will address the experimental medicine and early phase research challenges through a multi-faceted approach, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Vision
Our vision is to drive the development of novel biomedical interventions to prevent, diagnose and treat infections that threaten the health of the UK population.
Aims
- Develop new evidence on the performance and impact of tools to tackle infectious disease, including vaccines, diagnostic algorithms, diagnostic devices and treatment strategies
- Foster enhanced collaboration with existing and new partners in academia, charity and industry
- Provide a mechanism for collaboration between NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) with relevant themes and other research infrastructure with strong infection-related expertise
- Establish a coordinated infrastructure to support the UK’s response to current and future infection threats, including Phase 1 and 2 trials
- Co-ordinate and strengthen patient and public involvement and engagement in infection science in the UK, ensuring that voices from diverse communities are heard and integrated into research priorities
- Support early career development and nurture the next generation of infection researchers, including those from underserved areas
- Offer expertise and other relevant support for other national efforts in infection
TRC Leads and Centres
Biomedical Research Centres (BRC)
- NIHR Imperial BRC, led by Professor Graham Cooke (Chair)
- NIHR Oxford BRC, led by Professor Sarah Walker (Deputy Chair)
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital BRC, led by Professor Judith Breurer
- NIHR Sheffield BRC, led by Dr Tom Darton
- NIHR Southampton BRC, led by Professor Robert Read
- NIHR Cambridge BRC, led by Professor Ravindra Gupta
- NIHR Birmingham BRC, led by Professor Alan McNally
- NIHR Leeds BRC, led by Professor Mark Wilcox
- NIHR UCLH BRC, led by Professor Mahdad Noursadeghi
- NIHR Exeter BRC, led by Professor Adilia Warris
- NIHR Manchester BRC, led by Professor Tim Felton
Other Centres
- NIHR Newcastle HRC, led by Dr David A. Price
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, led by Professor Martin Llewelyn
- University of Liverpool, led by Professor William Hope
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, led by Professor Michael Marks
- Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, led by Professor Anna Goodman
- City St George’s, led by Professor Tihana Bicanic
Expertise and Capability
Our work is organised into 3 main workstreams with 2 cross-cutting themes that support all workstreams.
Workstream 1: Experimental Vaccinology and Controlled Human Infection Models (CHIM)
Expands early-phase vaccine trials, standardises assays, and develops biomarkers to accelerate vaccine discovery.
- Lead: Christopher Chiu
- Co-leads: Maheshi Ramasamy, Tom Darton and Robert Read
Workstream 2: Diagnostics and Precision Medicine
Integrates host- and pathogen-based diagnostics, metagenomic technologies, and real-world data to personalise treatments, improve early detection, and guide clinical decision-making.
- Lead: David Eyre
- Co-leads: Mark Wilcox and Alan McNally
Workstream 3: Novel Therapeutic Strategies
Builds UK-led clinical trials for new treatments, particularly for fungal infections, bacterial infections and sepsis, and strengthens collaborations across centres.
- Lead: Tihana Bicanic
- Co-leads: Martin Llewelyn and Anna Goodman
Cross-cutting Themes
- Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE): coordinates engagement across centres, sharing best practices and supporting those with fewer resources.
- Capacity development: identifies research gaps, supports emerging principal investigators, and fosters training and fellowships to grow the next generation of infection researchers.
More details can be found here- Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Translational Research Collaboration | NIHR