Health Data Research Hubs
The Health Data Research Hubs provide a rich toolkit of healthcare datasets, infrastructure and expertise that enable users to identify, access, understand and use data to improve people’s lives.
Working in partnership with HDR UK, each Hub is the product of strong collaboration
between the NHS, academia, industry and the public and forms an integral part of the
vibrant UK research data ecosystem.
From 2019-2023, the Hubs were supported by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (through the Data to early diagnosis and precision medicine challenge) as part of HDR UK’s Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) Programme. Although this funding has now ended, the Hubs continue to move forward with their unique expertise and datasets to enable approved data users to make discoveries that improve people’s lives.
What is a hub?
The Health Data Research Hubs are collaborations of leading universities, NHS Foundation Trusts and other non-academic partners that use their tools knowledge and expertise to facilitate the use of health data for beneficial research purposes. Each Hub is a centre of excellence supporting researchers to maximise the insights and innovations developed using this data.
Why are there nine different Hubs?
Each Hub holds topic-specific knowledge, expertise and data in particular disease areas or types of health data. There are currently nine Hubs that provide coverage across multiple disease areas and data sources.
The purpose of the Hubs
The purpose of the Hubs is to support external users from across the NHS, academia, and industry to use data for research and innovation. Each Hub holds topic-specific knowledge, expertise and data in different domains or data types. There are currently nine Hubs that provide coverage across multiple disease areas and data sources. Collectively, the Hubs work as a network to adopt similar ways of working and tackle challenges in data science through being members of the wider UK Health Data Research Alliance.
Alleviate
Alleviate is the APDP Pain Research Data Hub. Alleviate is transforming UK pain datasets to be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR).
DATAMIND
DATAMIND will make the best use of the UK’s rich mental health data and enable coordinated research, with the ultimate aim of improving lives.
NHS DigiTrials
NHS DigiTrials focusses on the development of a foundation service to improve the assessment of clinical trial feasibility – supporting improved planning and delivery of clinical trials in the UK.
DATA-CAN
DATA-CAN is a UK-wide partnership that aims to unlock the power of health data to improve cancer care.
Gut Reaction
Gut Reaction harnesses the power of health data to help identify the best treatment for IBD.
Discover-NOW
Discover-NOW uses NHS data to support research to find ways to diagnose and treat disease.
INSIGHT
INSIGHT is focused on eye disease and its application to wider health, including diabetes and dementia.
BREATHE
BREATHE enables high quality research and innovation to address respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD.
PIONEER
PIONEER allows innovative healthcare companies to develop, test and deliver advances in clinical care.
Hub impact and timeline
Since the Hubs were set up in 2019, they have developed a long way. Here, you can see how they’ve evolved and the impact they are having in enabling research in a safe and secure way.
Health Data Research Hubs DIH Evaluation
From 2019-2023, the Hubs were supported by the ‘Data to early diagnosis and precision medicine challenge‘ as part of HDR UK’s Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) Programme. Although this funding has now ended, the Hubs continue to move forward with their unique expertise and datasets to enable approved data users to make discoveries that improve people’s lives.