The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in In Vitro Diagnostics (HRC IVD) recently launched, bringing together industry, academia, and the healthcare sector to discuss the Centre’s ambitions and priorities.
Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London, the HRC IVD will support the development and adoption of diagnostics.
With a focus on cancer, infectious and respiratory diseases, critical care, and primary and social care, the HRC IVD offers expertise in regulatory approvals, real-world evidence generation, health economics, and overcoming adoption barriers.
Professor George Hanna, Director of the HRC IVD, opened the event by highlighting the Centre’s critical role in bridging the gap between innovation and clinical practice. He was joined by Imperial College London’s Professor Mary Ryan, Vice Provost for Research and Enterprise, and Professor Deborah Ashby, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Dr Alex Churchill, Deputy Director at the Department of Health and Social Care.
“The launch of the Centre marks a pivotal moment in the UK’s approach to diagnostics” said Professor Hanna. “We will address the generic challenges faced by innovators, using research directed at overcoming evidence needs gaps. Our ‘one-stop shop’ research facility aims to create a pipeline of new diagnostic excellence for industry, regulators, patients and the NHS.”
The HRC IVD team, currently based at Hammersmith Hospital, is also establishing a Real-World Challenge Laboratory at the Imperial White City Campus, which will house a Human Factors Simulation Laboratory. This facility, available from December 2025, will assess system performance when introducing new diagnostics – evaluating safety, efficiency, utility, and flexibility – while also providing opportunities for skills training.
The event featured presentations from leads across the Centre’s Methodology and Clinical Themes. Professor Peter Buckle and Dr Melody Ni of Imperial College outlined how they are supporting innovators in refining their technologies to meet clinical and regulatory requirements in a question and answer.
Clinical experts provided insights into the Centre’s core areas of focus:
- Cancer: Co-Led by Professor Dow-Mu Koh, Consultant Radiologist at The Royal Marsden and Institute of Cancer Research
- Infectious and Respiratory Diseases: Presented by Dr Ankur Gupta-Wright, Postdoctoral Clinician Scientist at Imperial College London
- Primary and Social Care: Co-Led by Professor Laura Shallcross, Professor of Public Health at University College London
- Critical Care: Led by Professor Anthony Gordon, Head of the Division of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care at Imperial College London.
Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “As the lead NHS Trust for the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in In Vitro Diagnostics, we’re pleased to be bringing together research and innovation to advance diagnostics and get them into patient’s lives sooner. The breath test for early detection of gastrointestinal cancers is a great example of how we can support the validation of new diagnostics, streamline pathways and increase the chance of patient survival.”
The afternoon session featured Natalie Owen, Head of NIHR Research Infrastructure, who shared the emerging themes from the 10-Year Health Plan that the HRCs can respond to, including ensuring data used is equitable and reflects the whole population. This was followed by a series of lightning talks from regulatory and industry leaders, including Nadine Neale (MHRA), Ross Stevenson (BIVDA), and Stephen Lee (ABHI), who shared how their organisations work with innovators to navigate regulation, evidence, funding and sustainability.
You can also find out about the services that the HRC IVD team offer and contact them here.