E CLINICAL RESEARCH
96WELLCOMETRUSTCLINICAL RESEARCH PANELI’rofcssor Sir Stanley l’cart, MI), ïRCl’, FRS. (Cliairmaii, Wellconie <strong>Trust</strong>ee)I’rofessor C II \V Edwards. MI). FRCI’. University of EdinburghI’rofessor M A Fcrgiisoii-Sinitli, FIIS, FIISE. FRCI’Glas, FRCl’atli, University ofCanibridgeI’rofcssor L Liizzaro, MI). FRCl’atli. Royal l’ostgraduateMedica1 Scliool. LoiidoiiI>rofcsnor AJ McMicliacl. MU. I’hD. FIICI’, University of OxfordI’rofcssor E O It Reyiiolda. MI). FIICI’, University Coll~xe aiid Middlesex Scliool of MedicineI’rofcssorJ I l Srnales, MI), FRCI’, University of LeicesterStaff members responsibleI k I) Gordon. MA, MU, FIICP, (Scieiitific Secretary)Sandn Carpenter. (Adsiiinistntive Secretary)CLINICAL RESEARCHCLINICAL RESEARCHMost of tlie <strong>Trust</strong>’s research expenditure is on tlie sciences basic to riiediciiie. However, the<strong>Trust</strong>ces coiitiiiuc to \~C~COIIIC applicatioiis for support of cliiiicai research ofiiigli quality. iii tlicyear iiiidcr review, a iiiorc generous provision \vas ninde for tlic budget of rlic Clitiinl ResearchI’aiicl tliaii for flic biidgcrs ofotlier advisory panels. As well as die expenditure on clinical researchnoted iii this SCC~~OII, tlic <strong>Trust</strong> coiitiiiiics to proiiiore tliç siibject tlirougli research tniiiiiigfellowsliips aiid senior clinical felloissliips. detailed clsewliere in this report.Iluriiig i!J88/RI) (1987/88 iii pareiithcsis for coiiiparisoii) the lJaiicl was able to award a total ofc3.85111 (C3.54ni). except loiigcr-term support, where the requcsts totalled E11.66ni (S11.Oûni).Hence. 30 per cciit (24 per cent) ofrequests were funded. in all, the I’aiiel dnlt with I95 (197)applicatioiis for grants, of these RI (82) were fiiiided.Tlie details of iiidividunl grants given below shoiv the wide range of clininl researcli coniiiigwithin the rciiiit of rlic I’ancl. Clinical researcli workers &ce dificulries bcyoiid tliose of theircolleagues in basic scieiice departiiiciits. As wcll as the iiievitablc frustrations aiid cballenges ofscieiicc. tlic cliiiical sciciitist is ficcd witb tlie pressing dciiiaiids oftlie care ofbis or lier patients. Aprogramme of research iiiay depciid on a \vide raiigcofscieiitific skills being brought to bearon aparticular cliiiical problciii, aiid exaniples oftlie cliiiical problciii in question may only beavailablcsporadically aiid certainly never predictably. Clinical science is rlicrefore particularly suiwblc forlonger-rcriii support, to allow stability to build tearits of the ran$ aiid skill necessary for asiistaiiicd attack on probleiiis ofscieiitific and niedical iiiipiirtaiice.Tlirec longer-terni grants Iiavc been recoiiinieiided for support by tlie Panel during <strong>1988</strong>/R9.it lias been particiilarly pleased to be able to n~oriinmid siipporr for new clinical academicstaff appointed to strciigtlicii tlic Cliiiical Scliool at the University of Cambridge. Foresaiiiple. Profcssor T M Cos lias mceiitiy bceii appointed to one oftlie Cliairr of Medicine inCambridge. He was formerly a WellconieTriisr Scnior llesearcli Fclloiv iii Cliiiical Scietice. and aWellcoiiic Senior Lecturer at the Royal Postgraduate Medical Scliool. Professor Cox aiid bis teamwork on tlie iiioleciilar genetic aiid biocbeniical defects uiidcrlyiiig a iiunibcr of nieubolicdisorders, aiid Iiavercceritly made progrcss in defining rlir dcfcctiii Iierediwry aldolascdeficiency.<strong>The</strong>ir work has even attracted interest hi the popiilar press.Not all longer-terni grants recomiiieiidcd by rlie i’aacl Iiave becii to clitiiciaiis Iioldiiig purelyacadeiiiic appoiiitnici~rs. DrJ M Hopkiii is a Corisultaiir I’liysiciaii iii Oxford, aiid with hiscolleagiics lias recently defined tlie likely sire ofdie gciictic defect underlying atopicdisorden suchas astliiiia aiid allergic iliiiiitis. A longer-term grant from tlie <strong>Trust</strong> lias been awarded to allow tlietcaiii m pirrsric tlic precise definition oftliegciicric defier, and rliis grant lias iiicluded some partialpersonal siipport for llr Hopkiii. to relieve Iiini ofsoiiie ofliis clinical duties aiid to allow him tocoii~entrate 011 Iiis research progniiiiiie.Establislicd researcl> workers such as I’rofasor COS andIlr Hopkin rely 011 a sound scientific traiiiiiig to underpin tlieir clinical rescarcli ititerests. Tile<strong>Trust</strong> has received a iiiiliiber of rcprçsenrotioiis about ways iii wliicli it might provide support tostreiigrlieii the scieiitific trainiiig of clinical acadeiiiics.IIescarclr Eaiiiirig Fcllowsliips for medical aiid dental gndiiares protride SUPPOK foroutstaiidiiig iiidividuals to work iii any siiitnble place. Tlic Tnist Ilas coiisidered a nuniber ofreqiiLSfs to provide fe!lo\rrsliips eariiiarked for 3 particuiar iiistinitiori, to aiiow that university tosclcct froni its owii cliiiical scientists those wlio, in die iiistinitioii’s own view, will best benefitfroiii scieiitific trainiiig. Tlic I?~iiel and tlic Tisrecs liave dçcliiied to provide support tied to apartinilar iiistitutioii, prcferriiig that fellows already iiicdicilly qualified should each be proposedfor filloissliips iii rlicir own riglit. However, different circomstniices apply before medicalqualificatioii. Tlie Iiistory ofcoiiibiiied MI) arid Pliil degree prograiiinies iii the United Sutci hasbccii vari;ible, biit ofien ciicoiiraging. aiid the ïhistces Iiave ngrccd to provide funds for anesperiiiieliral MB-phl) Scl~ellle iii rlie Uiiiversity of Caiiibridge. <strong>The</strong> coune will be opcll to~ipplicaiirs wllo liaSc coriipl~ted their prc-clinical traiiiiiig either in Cambridge or elscwherc aiid97