Professor Oliver Bandmann has been announced as the Chair of a new UK-wide research collaboration advancing Parkinson’s disease care through the development of promising new treatments and precision diagnostics. 

The Parkinson’s disease Translational Research Collaboration (PD-TRC), funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and supported by four major charities, is the first of eight UK TRCs to focus on Parkinson’s disease. 

Its key purpose will be to bring together UK expertise and infrastructure, delivered through 17 centres of excellence across academia and the NHS, to strengthen collaboration in groundbreaking translational Parkinson’s disease research. 

Translational research focuses on testing the safety and impact of innovations. It also involves examination of how new procedures lead to patient benefit. 

The new Translational Research Centre (TRC) will be led by Professor Oliver Bandmann, Honorary Consultant Neurologist at STH and Professor of Movement Disorders at the University of Sheffield. He is supported by Professor Camille Carroll, from NIHR Newcastle BRC, and Professor Alistair Noyce at Queen Mary University of London. 

It is the eighth TRC to be established by the NIHR – two of which have launched this past year – and the first to be hosted by the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). 

Parkinson’s disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder which affects over 166,000 people in the UK. There are major gaps in UK Parkinson’s disease research, especially in experimental medicine and early clinical trials. Progress is also slowed by fragmented, siloed work across basic science, experimental medicine and clinical research. 

“Parkinson’s Disease can be devastating for those that live with it, and despite progress in treatment and detection we still haven’t found treatment to slow down the disease and address every patient’s needs.  

“This is why this new NIHR-funded Translational Research Collaboration with specific focus on Parkinson’s and related disorders is so important. When experts collaborate, barriers can be overcome, and great things can happen. We also have strong support from all relevant patient charities. Furthermore, people with Parkinson’s will be closely involved to ensure that their voice will be heard. I am excited for what we can achieve. 

“The NIHR-PD-TRC represents a unique opportunity to transform early-phase clinical research in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders in the UK. It aims to bridge the gap between promising preclinical discoveries and clinical trials.” 

Professor Oliver Bandmann

“We are delighted to be hosting this UK-wide research collaboration. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring together expertise in Parkinson’s disease and associated neurological conditions from across the NHS, academia, patients, industry and charity organisations to maximise the benefits of groundbreaking research taking place in Biomedical Research Centres across the country and ensure potentially life-changing scientific discoveries in Parkinson’s treatment and care can be quickly translated for patient benefit.”  
The new collaboration will also drive collaborations with industries and charities in Parkinson’s disease, acting as a hub to bring together research communities and combine expertise to tackle shared challenges. This will widen access to research and help reduce inequalities across the UK.  

Professor Christopher McDermott
Director NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre 

The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.

NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) are collaborations between NHS organisations and universities. They bring together academics and clinicians to translate scientific discoveries into potential new treatments, diagnostics and technologies.