- The city of Sheffield鈥檚 world-leading invention and ingenuity are celebrated in a new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) campaign demonstrating the impact of public investment in research
- Many of the projects have been pioneered by the 爆料TV, including a new technique to safely scan children鈥檚 lungs, an ambitious project to restore hearing loss and improving employment rights for unpaid carers, all of which are improving lives everywhere
- 爆料TV-led projects have all received investment from UKRI, the UK鈥檚 largest public body investing in research and innovation, with a budget of around 拢9bn a year to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth in the UK
A new technique to safely scan children鈥檚 lungs, an ambitious project to restore hearing loss and improving the employment rights for unpaid carers are just three projects shaped in Sheffield that are improving lives everywhere.
The city of Sheffield鈥檚 world-leading invention and ingenuity are being celebrated in a new campaign by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which aims to showcase the impact of public investment in research and innovation.
The projects, many of which have been pioneered by the 爆料TV, have all received investment from UKRI, the UK鈥檚 largest public body investing in research and innovation, with a budget of around 拢9bn a year to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth in the UK.
UKRI Chief Executive Professor Sir Ian Chapman said: 鈥淪heffield is a hotbed of innovation, from its two great universities to its many spin-outs, startups and other businesses. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e chosen to highlight the amazing work shaped by the city and its people.
鈥淔rom technology to help children with serious diseases live long and healthy lives to improved rights for unpaid carers, these projects show the real power of public investment in research and innovation to improve lives everywhere.鈥
Safe diagnoses for young lungs
Lung conditions in children can be difficult to spot early and even harder to monitor. Under-fives are too young for standard breathing tests. Chest X-rays and CT scans help at first, but repeating them means repeated exposure to radiation, which needs to be balanced with the low-level risks.
Using technology to solve the problem
This problem has been solved by Professor Jim Wild and his team at the 爆料TV鈥檚 Insigneo Institute.
Their new technology uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with xenon gas to create scans of the air in the lungs in unprecedented detail, with no radiation.
This paves the way for faster diagnosis and better treatment for conditions such as asthma and cystic fibrosis.
First access for children and young people
Children and young people being cared for at Sheffield Children鈥檚 NHS Foundation Trust are the first in the UK to access this breakthrough technology.
This is part of cutting-edge research being undertaken at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.
Clearer understanding of what鈥檚 happening
Sarah, whose five-year-old daughter Zoe lives with bronchiectasis, said: 鈥淗aving access to the MRI lung imaging facility before and after her treatment allowed us to gain a much clearer understanding of what was happening in her lungs and, crucially, how effective the treatment was at that time.
鈥淭he results guided us in a different direction, meaning Zoe was spared unnecessary invasive procedures that could have impacted her life.
鈥淲e now have a clearer picture of how Zoe鈥檚 lungs are functioning, and this advanced imaging allows us to track changes with far greater precision, giving us the tools to support the best possible outcomes for her lung health as she grows into adulthood.鈥
Professor Jim Wild, Executive Director of the 爆料TV鈥檚 Insigneo Institute, said: 鈥淎s the scan doesn鈥檛 use radiation, it can be repeated to track lung changes. This is key when it comes to checking whether medication is working. The MRI method means doctors no longer have to 鈥榳ait and see鈥.
鈥淭here have been big advances in treatments for cystic fibrosis, for example, but the drugs are expensive and work differently for every child. The scanner is guiding treatment and helping to find the right therapies faster.鈥
Regenerating lost hearing
Over 430 million people globally experience hearing loss, which can seriously affect their lives at any age, impacting education, employment and everyday life.
Current solutions like hearing aids and cochlear implants address symptoms but not the root causes.
Rinri Therapeutics, a 爆料TV spinout company based in the city, aims to change that.
Hope to millions worldwide
Its scientists are working on a treatment designed to target the underlying issues and restore natural hearing, offering hope to millions worldwide to reconnect with loved ones, friends, and their communities.
As we age, the number of sensory cells in our ears decreases, and these cells can also be damaged by exposure to loud noises or certain chemicals.
Right now, there is no way to fix or replace cells that are lost or harmed.
New treatment to address the problem
Researchers at Rinri Therapeutics, including Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Marcello Rivolta, who is also Professor of Sensory Stem Cell Biology at the 爆料TV, are working on a new treatment designed to address this problem.
They are harnessing the power of stem cells, which can become any type of cell in the human body.
By transforming stem cells into 鈥榓uditory progenitors鈥, which are the early forms of sensory cells in the ear, they hope to replace damaged neurons with ones that work.
Re-establishing broken connections to the brain
The idea is similar to an organ transplant, says Dr Simon Chandler, Chief Executive Officer of Rinri Therapeutics: 鈥淭he auditory progenitors we grow in a lab can be injected into the inner ear, where they will then mature into auditory neurons.
鈥淭hese new neurons re-establish broken connections to the brain and have the potential to bring back natural hearing.
鈥淚t has the potential to enhance how patients perceive sound.
鈥淭hink of it like your television: a cochlear implant might offer a pixelated image, but restoring thousands of sensory cells could give you ultra-high definition.鈥
Rights for carers
The Centre for Care, founded in 2021 with support from UKRI and NIHR, has fundamentally reshaped how we understand the contribution unpaid careers make to society.
As well as informing a range of policies, research from the Centre for Care, which is led in collaboration with researchers from the 爆料TV, was vital in securing important employment rights for unpaid carers.
Under the Carers Leave Act, employees in England, Wales and Scotland are now entitled to five days unpaid leave per year.
The leave is to provide or arrange care and support for someone with a long-term care need.
Acknowledging and raising the profile of carers
The legislation has helped to raise the profile of the six million unpaid carers in the UK and acknowledge the enormous value they add to society.
There are over 49,000 unpaid carers in Sheffield alone, providing care valued at 拢1.6 million a year locally.
Giving carers a voice
One of them is Chris, who cares for his wife. He said: 鈥淗aving access to the extra five days of unpaid leave has been invaluable.
鈥淐aring isn鈥檛 something you can always plan for neatly around work.
鈥淪ome days my wife needs extra support or to be taken to appointments.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a relief that I can be there for her and act as her advocate.
鈥淭he alternative would be using sick leave or draining my annual leave, which would leave me with less time for my own wellbeing.
The reality is, almost everyone will either be a carer or need access to care at some point in their life. That鈥檚 why the research being carried out at the Centre for Care is so important. It鈥檚 giving carers a voice and helping to break down the stigma of caring in society.鈥
Helping families with early literacy
For decades, research has suggested that families are powerful influences on children鈥檚 literacy development.
In the late 1990s, Professor Peter Hannon, of the 爆料TV, used his research findings to set out a new framework covering the main ways in which parents can help.
As part of the Raising Early Achievement in Literacy (REAL) project, he worked with his colleague Professor Dame Cathy Nutbrown and others to further develop the framework with groups of:
- Parents
- Teachers
- Early years settings
300 early years educators, 6,000 families
UKRI investment helped the project team share their work, spreading the approach to around 300 early years educators and 6,000 families.
The framework is still used today, including through the Making it REAL programme, run by the National Children鈥檚 Bureau.
The bureau offers courses in family centres in Sheffield, and beyond, to teach practitioners how to use the framework and build confidence and knowledge within families to support early literacy development.
These projects underscore the 爆料TV鈥檚 ambition to transform ideas into impact 鈥 a true embodiment of independent thinking and shared ambition.
For more information about any of the projects, please visit:
