Infectious Disease
We are establishing partnerships to accelerate antimicrobial, vaccine and diagnostic innovation to get effective treatments to patients faster.
Our ongoing work will help shape the UK infectious diseases community and influence the development of diagnostics and treatments for future infections.
The Covid-19 pandemic and newly available data on deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance have brought renewed attention to the threat posed by infectious diseases.
New ways to control and treat infectious diseases are urgently needed to improve global healthcare preparedness. Yet, the current medicines pipeline is insufficient and fragile.
New antimicrobials, vaccines and diagnostics are an essential global public health priority as we continue to come up against 21st-century healthcare challenges, such as Covid-19 and the ever-emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Did You Know?
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The Challenge
Transformation of the infectious disease medicines pipeline is critical to tackling this globally relevant healthcare risk whilst serving the needs of an increasingly conscious worldwide patient population.
Addressing this challenge requires a paradigm shift from generalised to personalised health interventions, supported by step changes in incentives and regulatory and translational science.
Our Mission
We are working to unlock the transformative potential of the UK’s advanced medicines discovery capability to boost the global infectious diseases sector through partnerships for societal and patient benefit.
Our focus is to:
- Bring together cross-sector stakeholders from industry, government and academia around specific patient needs
- Actively drive therapeutic, vaccine and diagnostic pipelines through facilitating access to ‘virtual pharma’ and funding
- Apply the latest technology advances to infectious disease portfolios for improved translation
- Offer foresight and develop future technological needs/offerings
Dr Beverley Isherwood
Head of Infectious Diseasestext
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Reshaping Medicines Discovery...
It's ambitious, it's achievable
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Metallobio
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SMI
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CF AMR Syndicate
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Lighthouse Labs - Diagnostics
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Our Experts
Dr Beverley Isherwood
Partnership Lead
Dr Beverley Isherwood
Partnership Lead
Beverley has responsibility for setting up and providing strategic and scientific leadership and direction for MDC’s infectious disease Syndicate portfolio, including the CF AMR Syndicate.
Bev has extensive experience in the development and delivery of collaborative research consortia bringing together experts from different sectors to shape research agendas and drive research efforts focused on unmet needs including working with and supporting SMEs who are developing the next generation of medicines for patients. The current focus is on shaping an ecosystem of partnerships in Infectious Disease working with colleagues internally and across the sector to help accelerate medicines development in this area. MDC representative on the cross-Catapult Research and Technology Group.
Bev has 15 years of experience in drug discovery across a broad range of disease indications and therapeutic modalities having previously held leadership roles in the biopharmaceutical industry. Bev is an Associate Editor for SLAS Discovery, and holds an MA (Natural Sciences) from Cambridge University and a PhD in Molecular Virology from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. Member of the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals with CA-AM accreditation.
Our Capabilities and Technologies
Biomarkers
Radiochemistry
Advanced Microscopy
Mass Spectrometry
Digital Spatial Profiling
Informatics
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If you are involved with medicines discovery in the UK in any way, we can almost certainly assist you.