The Public Health Sector
In the short-term our increased understanding of the processes underlying a range of diseases will be utilised to further educate relevant healthcare professionals. In the longer term, the identification of key molecular targets, the development or re-purposing of drugs to target these sites, novel diagnostics and devices will direct clinical trials and therefore guide and direct clinical practices within the health sector. Our links to the NHS through the Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the local Health Research Partnership allow us to be well placed to maximise the impact of our work, for example in the development of sensor technology to help predict those at risk of developing chronic constipation/faecal incontinence.
The Commercial Private Sector
Several our members have links with the commercial private sector and the centre encourages its members to forge new links where appropriate. Links are facilitated by the professional services within the Research and Knowledge Exchange department, which has excellent links with regional industry and has a history of cooperation with the medical device, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, will support the research team. The department of will support all IP protection for all novel products associated with the proposal. For example, projects with Carbalive are exploring the development of artificial livers while those with Cooper Vision are developing novel accommodating contact lenses.
Third Sector
The centre has links with a range of charitable organisations and our work is regularly disseminated to local members. Projects that involve working with charities include Breast Cancer Now, Rosetrees Trust, Big Lottery/Age Concern, Diabetes UK, ARUK with tangible local benefits and longer-term national influence.
Projects with links to charitable organisations include a grant with Age Concern/Big Lottery exploring the health benefits of attending the ‘Eastbourne Shed’ and a separate project exploring whether stress hormones can influence tumour recurrence.
General Public
The diseases that form the focus of the work in the centre occur across the life course. We constantly raise awareness of these conditions and explain how the findings from our research will tackle these challenges through a range of outreach events to patients, the public and to school children.
The information we provide has improved the understanding of a range of conditions of older people. Those with diseases are more informed about their conditions and the medicines used to treat them. Carers become more familiar with the problems faced by those with a disease. Finally, for the sufferer, we hope that our public lectures will help make this taboo subject less embarrassing to talk about and help them feel able to discuss their condition, with friends, carers and their GP more openly, thus improving care.
This work supports public engagement and outreach through STEM Sussex, who annually host STEMFest as part of the Big Bang Southeast. The School of Applied Sciences where the centre sits also has its own outreach programme which showcases current and topical science to over 800 school children per year and members of U3A.