Multimillion pound research institute for health to open in Manchester

28 Oct 2019

The Christabel Pankhurst Institute for Health Technology and Innovation will discover innovative health and care solutions – and celebrate a distinguished alumna and her campaign for equality

A new multimillion pound research institute that will maximise Manchester’s academic strengths in digital health and advanced materials to discover innovative health and care solutions is being launched by a consortium, led by our University.

The centre is called The Christabel Pankhurst Institute for Health Technology and Innovation and is part of an ambitious plan set out in the Greater Manchester (GM) Local Industrial Strategy to boost the city-region’s provision in this area.

The Institute is named to celebrate our alumna Dame Christabel Pankhurst, a co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union and a driving force behind one of the most significant social reforms of the 20th century, the suffragette movement. Christabel was awarded a first class law degree here in 1906. It also demonstrates our commitment to redressing the under-representation of women and other groups in science and academic leadership though its equality, diversity and inclusion action plan.

The Institute is being launched following a £5million award from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) Local Growth Fund.

The consortium is made up of the University, Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP), Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), and Health Innovation Manchester (HInM).

The initiative will build on investments from the University, MSP, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and The Alan Turing Institute, creating a total budget of more than £25m.

The institute will be housed in a flagship building at the centre of the University’s campus on the Oxford Road Corridor, as well as having bespoke, state-of-the-art research and business development spaces at MSP's Citylabs campus. This location and partnership will provide support for business growth by facilitating better collaboration between the NHS, researchers and industry through MSP, MFT, Health Innovation Manchester and the University.

The institute will play a critical role in pulling innovations through from basic research to market ready products and services, which can then be accelerated into clinical use through Greater Manchester’s devolved health and care system and established innovation pathway. To achieve this it will build on, integrate and enhance the already extensive support provided by the partners.

President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to work with our partners to exploit the University’s strengths in digital health and advanced materials to make a real difference to the health and economic development of Greater Manchester.”