About
The National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) is a major department of Imperial College’s Faculty of Medicine and is a leading international research centre for investigating the mechanisms underlying many chronic diseases within the cardiovascular and respiratory systems such as:
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- asthma
- atherosclerosis
- heart failure
Professor Kim Fox
NHLI was rated 5* in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) and highly rated in terms of both quality and number of researchers in the 2008 RAE. As a research centre, its main aim is to carry out research, development and education in cardiovascular and respiratory science.
The Institute is led by Professor Kim M Fox. It is based on sites at Royal Brompton and Harefield, Hammersmith, St Mary’s, South Kensington and Charing Cross. The academic research strategy is led by a team of four academic staff members, each outstanding in their field, namely:
- Peter Barnes - Head of Respiratory Medicine
- Bill Cookson - Head of Respiratory Science
- Michael Schneider - Head of Cardiovascular Science
- Dorian Haskard - Head of Vascular Science
Amongst other hospitals across London, NHLI has close links to the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, which was awarded two Biomedical Research Units (Cardiovascular and Respiratory) by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, home to the largest NIHR Biomedical Research Unit. Together these comprise the Academic Health Sciences System (AHSS).
NHLI has scientific expertise and interests in the cross-cutting themes of the Faculty of Medicine/AHSC: Population Studies and Epidemiology, Health Technologies, Discovery Biology, Bioinformatics and Clinical Trials.
The Faculty also has broad research themes, where the Faculty has strength and depth across the research area at a globally competitive level. NHLI's research also encompasses all of these 6 themes:
- Cardiovascular
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Surgery
The NHLI has many collaborations throughout Imperial, the UK and internationally. Locally, it is part of the MRC & Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, the MRC & DH Centre of Environment and Health (both Centres with King's College London), the Centre for Respiratory Infection funded by the Wellcome Trust, the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence in cardiovascular disease and the BBSRC funded Centre for Integrative Mammalian Physiology and Pharmacology (CIMPP).
Facilities and resources
Researchers have access to include state-of-the-art facilities such as genetic sequencing, microarrays, flow cytometry, light and confocal microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging and electron microscopy.
NHLI has a vital role within the Imperial College Trials Unit, based mainly at St Mary's with linked groups at the Royal Brompton Hospital.
The Institute is supported by the Health & Safety Committee, liaising with the local Campus Health and Safety Managers.
The Institute's Research Management Office employs two Research Managers who provide assistance and information on funding opportunities, grant applications, project management and post decision advice.
The monthly NHLI Newsletter, distributed electronically, provides information on news and events, facilities, as well as information on current research projects and potential collaborations.
