17th November 2003

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Funding for Ireland’s first dedicated rehabilitation research centre

The University of Ulster’s pioneering work in the field of rehabilitation science has been given a major boost with the award of £3.4 million funding to build a new state of the art ‘Centre for Rehabilitation Research’ on the University’s Jordanstown campus.
The award was made to the University of Ulster’s Health Sciences Research Group under the joint Department of Employment and Learning/Office of Science and Technology Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF), and will provide a new building to house research projects related to the healthcare professions.
The new Centre will drive forward innovative research aimed at developing assessment tools and rehabilitation techniques to help in the management of conditions such as:
• Low back pain and rheumatic diseases
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cystic fibrosis and other cardiopulmonary diseases
• Stroke and cerebral palsy
Head of the research group, Professor Deirdre Walsh, welcomed the funding: “This is a significant development for the group, and will provide a basis for future clinical trials within the area of healthcare research, and further build upon the excellent reputation we have within this area,” she said.
“The new Centre will allow us to expand the range of clinical research projects we can undertake, and enable us to collaborate with similar research centres at an international level to ensure that that rehabilitation research undertaken in the province will be internationally competitive”.
“Having the capacity to conduct clinical trials on-site will enable us to take our research work to a new level, and we look forward to working with colleagues in Ireland, the UK and internationally on the new and exciting projects this Centre will make possible”.

The new Centre for Rehabilitation Research will be the first of its kind in the island of Ireland.
Work on the new building is due to commence in the summer of 2004 with a projected completion date of winter 2005.
The announcement comes just days after the University unveiled details of a £600,000 medical clinic development to be constructed on the Jordanstown campus.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk