Research at Barts Health
Our ambition is to offer every patient the opportunity to take part in research.
We’re proud of our long history of carrying out world-class research.
This research drives improvements in treatments and the health care services we provide. We carry it out in partnership with organisations including Queen Mary University of London as part of Barts Life Sciences, the National Institute for Health Research and Barts Charity.
International Clinical Trials Day
International Clinical Trials Day 2026
Every year on 20 May, we mark International Clinical Trials Day - the anniversary of James Lind's 1747 scurvy study, widely recognised as the world's first controlled clinical trial. It is a moment to thank the patients who take part in research and trials every year, recognise the many teams of staff who make it all possible, and reflect on the huge impact these advancements have on people's lives.
Note: This year's Research Matters event will take place in September 2026
Research Matters 2025
Research Matters, an annual event hosted by Barts Health NHS Trust to celebrate International Clinical Trials Day, took place on Tuesday 20 May 2025. The theme was Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare and highlighted the groundbreaking work happening across Barts Health and Queen Mary University of London.
Our research strategy
Our ambitious research strategy aims to build on our existing strengths in areas of research like cardiovascular disease and cancer, and to drive improvements and develop other areas of work like precision medicine. Projects we’re working on include:
- increasing research funding and recruitment to clinical trials from our local, diverse populations to ensure our research is representative and will benefit everyone. One way we’re doing this is by collaborating with the Genes & Health programme.
- building on our existing work in specialities such as cancer, trauma, metabolic disease and population health, including women’s health by building on the success of our NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre and the Barts Cancer Institute.
- building our research infrastructure through the development of a clinical research facility at The Royal London Hospital and the development of a life sciences campus at Whitechapel.
- expanding our research portfolio of early phase clinical trials, supported in part by the NIHR Clinical Research Facility infrastructure programme
- identifying new opportunities to strengthen reserach in areas such as gestational diabetes and older people’s services
- ensuring our research influences and helps support the redesign of the services we provide, to drive improvements in patient care and outcomes, like we have achieved in trauma care.
Our partners
We work with other organisations to deliver our research strategy, and to ensure that people and patients have access to as many research opportunities as possible. These include the:
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Barts Biomedical Research Centre
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Barts Clinical Research Facility
- Queen Mary University of London Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
We work very closely with the Joint Research Medical Office (JRMO). If you are a researcher or a member of staff with a question about research, the JMRO are always on hand to help out - either contact them centrally or contact a specific individual.
NIHR North East London Commercial Research Delivery Centre
The NIHR NEL CRDC is one of 35 CRDCs across the UK set up to increase commercial clinical research and respond to the five pillars of the UK clinical research delivery vision.
It is a partnership between three NHS trusts including Barts Health NHS Trust, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust and Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Find out more about the NIHR North East London CRDC
Get in touch
Whatever your question, please do get in touch.
Whether you have questions about taking part in research, want to know how you can help shape our research, need to know more about carrying out research or anything else, we're here to help.
Email the research engagement team
If you are a researcher or a member of staff with a question about research, please the Joint Management Research Office (JMRO).
To keep up-to-date with all our latest research, follow us on X.
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