OU invests in its Affiliated Research Centres to improve health

The Open University (OU) has invested in a programme of research with its Affiliated Research Centres (ARC) through providing catalyst funding for six projects.

The projects align with the OU’s Open Societal Challenges ‘Living Well’ theme as they all focus on developments to improve health.

The aim of the funding scheme is to design projects and outcomes suitable for collaboration between the OU and its Affiliated Research Centres, a programme which enables leading research institutes from around the world, who do not have their own research degree awarding powers, to provide doctoral training with the OU’s support.

The following six projects have received funding up to 31 July 2024:

1. A project with Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori will work to set new therapeutic targets for the treatment of the most agressive prostatic tumours.
2. Research with Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn will study bioactive anti-inflammatory compounds isolated from species of microalgae for use in anti-cancer applications.
3. A project with UK Health Security Agency will build a mutually beneficial partnership initially focused upon the development of infection models used to enhance societal safety.
4. A collaboration with the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri Molecular will provide new insights into the pathogenesis of brain injury through analysis of blood-brain barrier dysfunction in young adults recovering from stroke.
5. A new partnership with the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia will focus on infectious disease research that will initially bring together expertise on the role of autophagy in the control Clostridioides difficile, an important emerging human pathogen that causes bowel infection.
6. A second project with Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn will focus on the discovery of new microbial strains from marine bacteria and microalgae for use in the bioremediation of heavy metal pollutants.

Dr Francesco Crea, OU Director of Research in Life Health and Chemical Sciences, said:

“It was our ambition to intensify the connections between the Affiliated Research Centres and the OU to create new opportunities for research with internationally renowned groups from across the globe, the ARC Catalyst fund has enabled this.”

Professor Lindsay O’Dell, Academic Director OU Graduate School, added:

“The OU has been conducting an in-depth review of the ARC Programme as part of our PGR Futures initiative.

“A key outcome has been the development of an OU-ARC Research Network. The OU-ARC Research Catalyst Fund will support and enhance this initiative and further strengthen OU-ARC research relationships.”

Reported outcomes will be submitted by 31 October 2024.