Prime Highlights :
- MEDATA will train a new generation of clinician data scientists for the UK healthcare research sector.
- The programme will use medicines-related health data to support drug development and improve patient care.
Key Facts :
- The University of Liverpool is leading the programme with HDR UK and the universities of Birmingham, Cambridge and Leeds.
- Fellows will receive mentoring and career development support alongside specialist data science training.
Background :
Researchers in the UK have received funding for a new doctoral training programme aimed at building the country’s future healthcare research workforce.
Led by the University of Liverpool, the programme will be delivered with Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) and the universities of Birmingham, Cambridge and Leeds. It will train healthcare professionals to become clinician data scientists with skills in both medicine and data analysis.
The programme, called MEDATA, will focus on medicines-related data science. It aims to help researchers use large and complex health datasets to support the development of new medicines and improve the use of existing treatments.
The initiative comes as healthcare research faces a growing need for professionals who can combine clinical knowledge with advanced data skills. Researchers said better use of health data could help improve medical research and patient care.
Fellows will work in collaborative research settings and receive individual mentoring and career development support. The programme will also promote work across different healthcare and research fields.
Professor Marion Bennie, the programme’s academic lead at the University of Strathclyde, said the institution has experience in health data science and medicines research. She said MEDATA would help train professionals who can use complex health information to improve medicines development and patient care.
Professor Sir Andrew Morris, Director of HDR UK, said future medicines and treatments will depend on the effective use of health data. He said the programme would help develop the skills needed to turn health information into research and better patient outcomes.
The programme is expected to create a new pool of specialists who can connect clinical practice with data-driven research.
