Heart and Lung Research Institute

The centrepiece of our strategic response to the global epidemic of cardiovascular disease is the establishment of a new Heart and Lung Research Institute on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The Institute is a partnership between the University of Cambridge and Royal Papworth Hospital – the UK’s largest specialist cardiorespiratory hospital and main heart and lung transplant centre. Located right next to the newly relocated Royal Papworth Hospital, which was officially opened by HM the Queen on 9 July 2019, the Institute brings together world-renowned research and clinical expertise in cardiorespiratory medicine to rapidly translate scientific breakthroughs into new treatments.

The Institute draws together the highest concentration of heart and lung researchers from academia, healthcare, and industry in Europe. It is home to over 380 scientists and state-of-the-art laboratories in genomics, population sciences, research into cellular mechanisms of disease, and translational science. It also includes a special ten-bed facility where the first-in-patient studies of new treatments can be conducted.

Research at the new Institute will be increasingly directed towards disease prevention and the interplay between genetics and lifestyle. Clinical trials are a critical part of the research process, and the Institute has a new Clinical Research Facility that will complement available facilities on the Biomedical Campus. For many relevant conditions, Royal Papworth is the largest referral centre in the UK, and new treatment strategies will benefit from close ties between the Hospital and the University.

The building opened in July 2022 and there is still the opportunity for philanthropic support both for capital and programmatic costs.

Philanthropic Priorities

Working with our partners, we are developing plans to fund new projects in neuroscience, cancer, public health, children’s health and...

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