Since its launch in 2019, the UK Health Data Research Alliance has continued to expand, building a diverse network of partnerships which include custodians of health-related data as well complementary groups that play a crucial role in the health-data ecosystem such as industry trade associations, policy decision-makers, funders, regulators, and patient groups, who are all committed to accelerating trustworthy access and use of health-related data for research and innovation. 

Today, three new members, including an imaging network, a national data infrastructure programme, and an AI centre, have joined the Alliance demonstrating their commitment to maximising the benefits of health data research for all. 

The new member organisations are: 

  • East Midlands Imaging Network (EMRAD) is a collaborative network of NHS Trusts in the East Midlands region, using advanced imaging technologies to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes.
  • Smart Data Research UK is a UK Research and Innovation investment in digital infrastructure. Providing safe and secure data access to smart data, safeguarding public trust, and building capability for cutting-edge research and innovation.
  • PharosAI is a partnership between King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, and two innovative NHS Trusts, Guy’s and St Thomas, and Barts Health. PharosAI offers a unique cancer AI product development ecosystem for drug discovery and clinical applications, democratising access to data, AI models, technologies, and capabilities.

These new members join our mission to accelerate improvements in biomedicine, health and care by encouraging widespread and responsible use of health-relevant data in a trustworthy, ethical way for research and innovation.  

The Alliance enables research by bringing together key players from across the health data ecosystem to establish a coordinated approach to drive the development of standards, tools and technologies required to improve access and use of data for public benefit  

 Jacqueline Moxon, Network Director for EMRAD, said:  

“EMRAD are pleased to have joined the UK Health Data Research Alliance. Working on behalf of our Trusts this is an important step for us to understand the landscape and ensure there is robust governance and process in place for data access requests, and ensuring that our digital and innovation strategy will support and improve our patient outcomes.” 

Joe Cuddeford, Director of Smart Data Research UK, said: 

“Smart Data Research UK is delighted to join the UK Health Data Research Alliance. We firmly believe smart data research can help us to better understand the complex relationships between people’s behaviour, circumstances, and their health outcomes. We look forward to working with Alliance members to help accelerate the responsible use of health data for research in a way that keeps public good at its heart.” 

Anita Grigoriadas, Professor of Molecular and Digital Pathology, and CEO for PharosAI, said:

“AI holds promise in developing new treatments for the 187,000 people who die of cancer every year in the UK. However, AI raises concerns around data governance, transparency, bias, and equity. New data governance models are needed to radically accelerate cancer AI research. Our membership of the UK Health Data Research Alliance is a critical first step in achieving this goal.”

Doreen Tembo, Interim Head of Alliance for HDR UK, said:

“The Alliance aims to reflect a broad representation of organisations across the UK health data landscape, and we are thrilled to welcome our newest members to the Alliance. Their diverse areas of focus and expertise as well as approaches will enrich the Alliance’s aim to facilitate shared learning and adoption of good practices across the sector. We look forward to working with our members towards our collective mission to advance health data research and innovation across the four nations.”

As the health data research landscape continues to evolve, this opens up opportunities for further collaboration with key institutes and organisations that play a crucial role in a complex ecosystem. 

For more information on joining the UK Health Data Research Alliance, please review the Principles for Participation and the Letter of Intent. To express your interest in becoming a member, please email ukalliance@hdruk.ac.uk and the team will be in touch. 

 

More about our new members 

  • East Midlands Imaging Network (EMRAD) is a network of hospital radiology departments serving the 5 million population in the East Midlands. EMRAD has set up a shared system which links up hospitals across the East Midlands that allows clinicians to access the complete imaging record of their patients, including scans, reports, and clinical opinions, regardless of where they are based. 
  • Smart Data Research UK’s mission is to unlock the power of data to improve lives. Smart data is data generated through everyday interactions with the digital world, including via mobile apps, navigation systems, social media, and shopping. It offers a powerful opportunity to understand society and improve lives.
  • PharosAI is an initiative funded as part of the Research Venture Catalyst Programme run by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to create a platform for AI researchers and companies to access a broad spectrum of cancer-related datasets and AI models. To do this, the project proposes to create a ‘data refinery’ sourced from more than 50,000 patient samples from King’s Health Partners Cancer Biobank and the Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank, over 28 million data points for AI model training.