Nottingham Molecular Pathology Node

About

In July 2015 The Medical Research Council (MRC) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) announced the creation of six new major centres for diagnostic test development and from here the Nottingham Molecular Pathology Node (NMPN) was born.

The purpose of the NMPN is to develop molecular pathology tests which will help deliver better targeted, more effective treatments across digestive, respiratory and liver diseases.

Research issues

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects over 1 million people in UK and kills 25,000/year
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is more common than all leukaemias combined and kills 50% within 3 years of diagnosis
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common genetic disease and has a median age of death between 35-40 years of age.
Hepatitis B/C affect more than 500,000 people in the UK
Helicobacterpylori (H. pylori) affects 1 in 6 people in the UK and causes peptic ulceration and gastric cancer
LAM Lung Disease (Lymphangioleiomyomatosis) has no effective treatment and we host the UK centre

With these startling figures in mind, the aim of the NMPN is to use established infrastructures and research strengths in respiratory and gastrointestinal / liver diseases to produce world-class innovative research and progress new biomarkers from discovery, down the development pathway into the clinic.

Workstreams

10 work streams have been identified within the Node, each with its own outcomes and deliverables:

WS1: Intelligent search informatics - Lead Prof Jon Garibaldi

Creating Informatics Spider (IfS)with search capabilities into UKCRC Tissue Directories and, ultimately, NHS clinical data

WS2: Computational data analytics - Lead Prof John Garibaldi

Advanced data analysis algorithms for representing data and empirical modelling data (to identify biomarkers) and mechanistic modelling

WS3: Histogenic Molecular Mapping (HMM) - Lead Prof Mohammad Ilyas

Novel algorithms providing for the needs of biomarker research projects and for the needs of diagnostic service delivery of Empath.

WS4: Chronic fibrotic lung disease - Lead Dr Gisli Jenkins

Molecular endotyping of chronic fibrotic lung disease

WS5: Activity of destructive lung diseases - Lead Prof Simon Johnson

Markers of tissue remodelling to determine the activity of destructive lung diseases

WS6: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) - Lead Dr Andrew Fogarty

Molecular microbiological signal to stratify patients and monitor therapeutic responses in Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

WS7: Chronic liver disease - Lead Prof Will Irving

Stratification of chronic liver disease and evaluation of efficacy of interventions

WS8: Helicobacter pylori-induced gastro-duodenal disease - Lead Prof Guru Aithal

Prognostic biomarkers for Helicobacter pylori-induced gastro-duodenal disease.

WS9: Training courses - Leads Dr Sally Chappell/Prof Mohammad Ilyas

Molecular pathology training courses

WS10: Management/Governance - Rebecca Braybrooke

The research, infrastructure and training workstreams WS1-8 will fit into the management and governance structure. This management/governance structure will create a dynamic environment where workstreams are monitored, shaped and contracted or expanded depending on their success

Training programmes

The NPMN is committed to developing molecular pathologists to NHS and industry standards and will do this by offering high quality MSc level programmes, short taught courses and summer training schools.

New - MSc Molecular Pathology (MSc by Research)

Press release

Contact

Natalie Stevenson,Training & Administration Officer

Group members