Sheffield gets double research funding boost

Adults and children with medical conditions are to benefit from an innovative new research cooperative to be launched in Sheffield.

The Children and Young People MedTech Cooperative (NIHR CYP Medtech), based at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, is being established to support the development of technology specifically for child health, after receiving a £1.1 million grant from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).

Eleven other cooperatives are being set up around the UK, with the Devices for Dignity MedTech Cooperative to be based at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Sheffield Children’s Hospital will work as a centre of expertise in collaboration with other children’s healthcare trusts across the country bringing together patients, clinicians, researchers, commissioners and industry to benefit children with epilepsy, muscle disorders and sleep disorders, among others.

Paul Dimitri, clinical director of the new NIHR CYP MedTech at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, said: “I’m incredibly proud that Sheffield has been chosen as host for two of these cooperatives. We are looking forward to working collaboratively with the Devices for Dignity and other research cooperatives around the country to focus on the much needed areas of child health technology development. This is another step on a really exciting journey that could bring significant innovation to the world of healthcare.”