Health and Care Research Wales: Centre for Trials Research

Specialisms: Cancer; Infections, Inflammation and Immunity; Population Health; Mind, Brain and Neuroscience

Who we are:
The Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University is the largest group of academic clinical trials staff in Wales – with over 161 staff, and growing. We tackle the big diseases and health concerns of our time, including growing resistance to antibiotics, early cancer diagnosis and how to eliminate health inequalities.

We achieve this by forming strategic partnerships with researchers, both seasoned and new, and building lasting relationships with the public, whose participation is essential for the success of our studies.

Our portfolio of work includes drugs trials and complex interventions, mechanisms of disease and treatments, cohort studies and informing policy and practice.
Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of society through recognised excellence in clinical trials and other well-designed studies.

Building partnerships:
As a result of our wide pool of expertise, we are able to navigate the complexities of each stage of the research pathway, from putting together effective funding proposals to conducting well-designed studies that feature in peer-reviewed publications. This enables us to partner both with first-time and seasoned researchers from the NHS and industry, as well as academia.

UKCRC registered clinical trials unit:
The Centre for Trials Research is a UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) registered clinical trials unit that is dedicated to tackling the big diseases and health concerns of our time. We work with investigators to produce research evidence for policy leaders, service commissioners and practitioners about treatments and services that may improve the health and well-being of the public.

Funders and stakeholders:
The Centre for Trials Research is publicly funded by Health and Care Research Wales and Cancer Research UK to enable applied research that informs policy in health and social care in Wales and the UK. We are currently running studies across Wales, the UK and internationally. This funding allows us to invest in core activities that are inherent requirements for the design and oversight of high-quality studies and to win external funding to allow their conduct, analyses and publication.

The majority of our work involves external investigators undertaking primary research in health or social care. The potential beneficiaries are broad, reflecting the range of studies and investigators we work in partnership with. These include: patients, members of the public, health and social care service providers and policy makers. These beneficiaries are in Wales, the rest of the UK and internationally.

Cross-cutting teams include information systems and database development (including technology solutions), quality assurance, regulatory affairs and professional services.