Similar to our 2022 grant call, our 2023 grant call asked for proposals which targeted an area of unmet need in IBD. The research priorities we focused on were identified by feedback from our community, and the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership.
We received many high-quality applications, which were assessed by our Research Awards Panel which includes people with scientific or medical expertise of IBD and people with lived experience of IBD. Shortlisted applications underwent a rigorous external peer review in line with Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) guidelines. You can read more about our research management processes and how we fund research here.
Find out more about the five successful projects below.
Developing a lab-grown gut model of strictures
Dr Laween Meran, Francis Crick Institute & University of Oxford
Award: £ 99,914
Duration: 36 months
Strictures are a major challenge in Crohn’s Disease treatment. We need better lab models so we can find out why strictures develop, and test whether new medicines can stop strictures developing.
Dr Laween Meran
Francis Crick Institute & University of Oxford
Understanding and predicting medicine resistance
Dr David Ma, Imperial College London
Award: £99,942
Duration: 24 months
Some medicines used to treat inflammatory bowel disease may not work for some people. Understanding why this happens can help us find more precise ways for people to get the effective treatment they need.
Dr David Ma
Imperial College London
A new indicator of gut inflammation and healing in children with Crohn’s or Colitis
Professor David Wilson, University of Edinburgh
Award: £98,814
Duration: 27 months
Children and young people with IBD and their families wish to have paediatric-orientated investigations and treatments; they will be delighted if we can develop biomarkers that will decrease the need for invasive endoscopy (and the bowel prep!) and increase personalisation of their therapy.
Professor David Wilson
University of Edinburgh
Understanding how the immune system affects the development of perianal fistulas
Mr Phil Tozer, St Mark's Hospital
Award: £54,143
Duration: 36 months
Current treatments for perianal Crohn's Disease often fail to heal fistulas. Because of this, there’s a need to better understand the biology of perianal Crohn's Disease, particularly the link between inflammation and tissue healing, so we can develop better treatments for this group of patients.
Mr Phil Tozer
St Mark’s Hospital
Using AI to find pre-cancerous and cancerous changes in the bowel
Dr Venkat Subramanian, University of Leeds
Award: £98,691
Duration: 24 months
Bowel cancer is one of the most serious complications of IBD, patients worry about developing it and clinicians devote large proportions of time and resources trying to detect it early, treat it or ideally prevent it.
Dr Venkat Subramanian
University of Leeds
Want to be part of research?
The best quality research happens when people with Crohn's and Colitis are involved, and you can make a difference at every stage of research.
