The award will allow the HPRU in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, a multi-disciplinary partnership between the UK Health Security Agency and the University of Oxford, to continue to find original and creative ways to combat the major threats posed by healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, in collaboration with representatives of patients, the public, and the NHS. The HPRU will build on world-leading research, systems, and tools developed over 10 years of working between partner universities and the UK Health Security Agency.
From 1 April 2025, the HPRU will collaborate with Universities of Leeds, Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester, bringing together world class researchers together to:
- Work out how information collected every time people go to hospital or their GP can be used to track infections and antimicrobial resistance.
- Understand better who is most affected by healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistance and why.
- Explore how to use antibiotics better outside of hospitals.
- Improve how we manage one of the most challenging and resistant types of infection, ‘Gram-negative’ infections.
Professor Sarah Walker, Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology in the Experimental Medicine Division and Director of the HPRU in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, said: ‘We are excited to have this opportunity to build on our successful track record of collaborative working to drive changes in how we identify, monitor, investigate and ultimately reduce the impact of healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistance over the next 5 years, whilst also training the next generation of public-health focussed researchers.’