First glimpse of pioneering new medical institute
Design images have been unveiled of a major new research and innovation facility set to be based at Southampton General Hospital.
The images show plans for the University of Southampton’s (UoS) new Institute for Medical Innovation (IMI).
This £100m state-of-the-art building will help researchers tackle some of the world’s most devastating diseases.
Linda's story
The newly revealed designs mark a key milestone, and the launch of a major fundraising campaign to bring the building to life.
Among those supporting the campaign are Linda Richardson, a former palliative care nurse. She has posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), an uncommon type of dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Linda took part in a research study at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), known as READ-OUT, to help find earlier ways to diagnose dementia.
Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. There is no cure, and treatments are limited. People with dementia may only begin to show signs of the disease 20 years after the changes in the brain start to occur. By this point, treatment is far less successful.
Early diagnosis is therefore vital to give future patients a better chance against the disease.
Researchers at UHS, alongside teams at UoS, are attempting to change this. The READ-OUT study aims to identify blood tests to diagnose dementia more accurately and faster than current methods.
Linda said: “It’s been difficult to come to terms with the fact that there is no treatment for me. I felt lost when I was given the diagnosis, as though I am on a long, lonely road.
“But while I know nothing can be done for me, I might be able to help people in the future.
“If there’s a chance this study and the work the IMI will do in the future can find a way of telling people earlier that they have dementia, we can give them more time with their families.
“Dementia is the forgotten disease. The more I can do to change things, the better.”
Accelerating Southampton’s health research
The IMI will bring together researchers, medics, engineers and computer scientists. This will help to drive new breakthroughs faster than ever before.
The facility will equip the next generation of researchers with the tools and technology to deliver life-changing medical outcomes.
They will focus on five disease areas. These will be cancer, dementia, sight loss, infection, and respiratory and allergy.
This will be underpinned by investment from UoS and a £50m fundraising campaign.
David French, UHS chief executive, said: “The IMI building demonstrates the strength of partnership between our organisations and a shared commitment to research excellence.
“The IMI is where innovation will flourish, and it’s exciting to see the plans now taking shape.
“This investment supports the development of new and innovative treatments that deliver real benefits for patients. It reinforces the powerful circle of research, where outstanding facilities attract the best people, leading to improved patient outcomes, that in turn attracts exceptional talent.
“Together, these partnerships demonstrate how collaboration and research excellence go hand in hand to improve lives.”
‘Life-changing treatments to patients faster’
Professor Paul Elkington, Director of the IMI, said: “The IMI will get life-changing treatments to patients faster. We know families are waiting and, while technology is advancing at pace, medical science must keep up.
“Southampton is perfectly placed to make this happen. At the heart of a major hospital, a purpose-built research centre will bring scientists, doctors, engineers, and data experts together under one roof. Working side by side and using the latest technologies, they will accelerate discovery from lab to patients.
“The result will be smarter drugs, innovative devices, and kinder treatments for cancer, dementia, and other devastating diseases - reaching patients in years, not decades.”
The building will be fully operational by 2030. A planning application is due to be submitted later this year.
More details about the IMI building, planned consultation opportunities and how you can support the campaign can be found on the UoS IMI webpages.