UCL Institute of Child Health
Encyclopedia
The UCL Institute of Child Health is an academic department of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of University College London (UCL)
located in London
, United Kingdom
. It is a leading biomedical research centre and has a history in children's medical research which dates back to its founding.
ICH represents the largest concentration of child health professionals in Europe. Current research focusses on broad biomedical topics, ranging from immunology
to epidemiology
.
. It acted as a postgraduate school of preventive and therapeutic paediatrics of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the University of London. Moncrieff served as director until 1964.
in 2006. The research is internationally recognised, with the ICH gaining Grade 5*A in the Higher Education Funding Council for England
ratings. The institute also won the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education in 2000.
Through the enabling of various funding bodies such as the Wellcome Trust
and Medical Research Council
, the ICH annually trains doctoral students, medical students and other postgraduates.
4th in the world, UCL Partners
research centres have formed a research alliance with Yale University
in the United States
. The two universities aim to share their biomedical expertise in tackling global health challenges such as cardiovascular disease
. The joint initiative will consist of a combined team of Yale
and UCL scientists from ICH, working to identify genes
involved in congenital heart disease. The partnership deal was overseen by former British prime minister Tony Blair
.
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
located in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is a leading biomedical research centre and has a history in children's medical research which dates back to its founding.
ICH represents the largest concentration of child health professionals in Europe. Current research focusses on broad biomedical topics, ranging from immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
to epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
.
History
The Institute of Child Health was founded in 1946 by professor Alan Moncrieff with the funding of a chair in child health by the Nuffield FoundationNuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a British charitable trust, established in 1943 by William Morris , the founder of the Morris Motor Company. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage...
. It acted as a postgraduate school of preventive and therapeutic paediatrics of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the University of London. Moncrieff served as director until 1964.
Research Overview
ICH sets out its mission to improve the health and wellbeing of children through research and public engagement. To further this agenda, ICH joined the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 2006. The research is internationally recognised, with the ICH gaining Grade 5*A in the Higher Education Funding Council for England
Higher Education Funding Council for England
The Higher Education Funding Council for England is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the United Kingdom, which has been responsible for the distribution of funding to Universities and Colleges of Higher and Further Education in England since...
ratings. The institute also won the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education in 2000.
Through the enabling of various funding bodies such as the Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
and Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
, the ICH annually trains doctoral students, medical students and other postgraduates.
Research themes
There are eight research themes in the Institute:- Cancer
- Cardiorespiratory Sciences
- General and Adolescent Paediatrics
- Genes, Development and Disease
- Infection and Immunity
- Neurosciences and Mental Health
- Nutritional and Surgical Sciences
- Population Health Sciences
Future Aims
With the publication of the Times Higher Education global university rankings in 2009 placing UCLUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
4th in the world, UCL Partners
UCL Partners
UCL Partners is an academic health science centre located in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest academic health science centre in Europe, treats more than 1.5 million patients each year, has an annual turnover of around £2 billion and includes around 3,500 scientists, senior researchers and...
research centres have formed a research alliance with Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The two universities aim to share their biomedical expertise in tackling global health challenges such as cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
. The joint initiative will consist of a combined team of Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
and UCL scientists from ICH, working to identify genes
Gênes
Gênes is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy, named after the city of Genoa. It was formed in 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Republic of Genoa. Its capital was Genoa, and it was divided in the arrondissements of Genoa, Bobbio, Novi Ligure, Tortona and...
involved in congenital heart disease. The partnership deal was overseen by former British prime minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
Notable faculty
- Professor Carol Dezateux CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, who was recognised in Queen Elizabeth II New Year honours for her contribution to paediatric epidemiology - Professor Terence Stephenson, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
- Professor Sir Cyril Chantler, received a knighthood for his services to medicine in 1996, and was appointed Chairman of the Board of Great Ormond Street Hospital and ICH.
- Professor John Martin, Vice President of the European Society of Cardiology and chairman of the Expert Cardiovascular Committee in DG XII at the European Commission. Awarded the Gold Medal of the European Society of Cardiology.
- Professor Agostino Pierro, Nuffield Professor of Paediatric Surgery, won the 2008 tribute from the medical charity SPARKSSparks (charity)Sparks is a children's medical research charity. Their sole remit is to fund research across the whole spectrum of paediatric medicine. Their vision is a world where all babies are born healthy and stay healthy.- History :...
.