By 2050 over 27% of the UK population will be aged 65 or over. People are living longer but also living longer with chronic diseases such as diabetes and its complications.
Our ageing population will make major demands on health services in the future. Cranfield works to address such health challenges. Our aim is to translate medical innovation into practical, beneficial healthcare solutions; resulting in an improved quality of life for older individuals.
Our research centers around changes in the immune system with age, how these changes impact on disease susceptibility and ways of reversing this decline. We actively investigate chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, fibrosis and diabetes, focusing on prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and control – both in the elderly and in younger populations where chronic diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent across the world. Our multidisciplinary group of scientists and clinicians work with external partners to generate solutions to specific health problems within these areas; and the development and testing of new solutions in healthy individuals and patient groups.
We work closely with industry, government departments and charitable groups helping to provide solutions to major global health challenges.
Examples of key business clients and partners include Age UK, European Union, Future Health, Research into Ageing and University College London.
We utilise the university’s extensive state-of-the-art facilities that are also accessible to doctoral students and, on a contractual or consultancy basis to external organisations.
Facilities include a purpose-built bioscience laboratory housed in the Vincent Building which include the following:
• Compound screening platforms
• Histology Suite
• Microbiology Suite
• Tissue Culture Laboratory.
We work with a wide variety of leading global organisations, Government departments and charities; helping to provide solutions to major global health challenges.
Through research and consultancy we apply our expertise, knowledge and experience to problems presented to us by our partners, helping to deliver effective business solutions that will:
• help define and achieve objectives on time
• solve specialised problems
• free up in-house staff
• reduce private consulting company’s expenditure.
Our partners also value our industrial facilities and equipment – some of which they don’t have inhouse. Specific consultancy services include:
• Review articles
• Legal support, reporting and expert witnessing
• Technological support and advice
• Technological market sector analysis
• Project management and project delivery
• Workshop/ seminar/ course delivery
• Database development.
