Norwich Research Park’s (NRP) planned Quadram Institute (QI) partners received a huge boost to help mark the launch of a £3 million fundraising campaign with an opening £400,000 donation from Big C.

“This significant donation is a tremendous contribution and kick starts the appeal we are launching to help meet QI’s £75 million building costs,” said Prof David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor at the University of East Anglia (UEA). “Big C are the first donors to support the development of the building, which is scheduled to open in May 2018, and we thank them for this generous leadership gift.”

The QI brings together research teams from the Institute of Food Research (IFR), UEA and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) as part of a major initiative, co-funded by the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).  It will create a new world-class facility to provide a step-change in food and health research and innovation to address major health conditions.

“The centre will be at the forefront of a new era of food and health research, working at the interface between food science, gut biology and health,” said Prof Richard Mithen at the Institute of Food Research. “It will build on recent research about how food and gut microbes interact, which is creating a fundamental shift in the way we understand and address the impact of food on health.”

The QI will house the NNUH’s regional endoscopy facility, providing state-of-the-art facilities for patients and enabling clinicians to work alongside scientists to conduct research to improve human health and wellbeing throughout life. Chronic diet-related disease costs the UK £5.1 billion in direct health costs for illnesses such as diabetes and obesity as well as a number of cancers, and those costs are predicted to rise to £50 billion by 2030 if left untreated.

Mark Davies, CEO at NNUH Foundation Trust said: “We have a truly unique opportunity here, based on strong partnership working across the Norwich Research Park, to deliver this new Institute, which will go on to save many lives. We have great people in place and a mind set to demonstrate what being a University Hospital means in real life research through our role in the new Institute.”

Big C’s CEO Dr Chris Bushby said: “We welcome this largest institute of its kind in Europe which will bring the best possible diagnosis, research and treatment for many cancer patients in Norfolk. The Quadram Institute epitomises Big C as a charity that works on different levels to help cancer patients. This ground-breaking new Institute pulls together the strands from patient care to research with its specialist diagnostic suite and research laboratories all in the same building. It will give greater access to participation in research and ensures the best treatment is on hand. Big C is pleased to be supporting this kind of investment for the greater good of cancer patients and their families in the area.”