Guy's and St Thomas' to host new cardio-respiratory HealthTech Research Centre

Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London will set up a new HealthTech Research Centre focussing on cardiovascular and respiratory medicine.

The centre, based at St Thomas’ Hospital, will work with industry and academic partners as a new “one stop shop” to develop new technologies, medical devices and digital solutions to benefit patients. 

It will be one of 14 new HealthTech Research Centres across England which received nearly £42 million in total from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Launching from April 2024, the centres will work with businesses to support the development of new medical devices, diagnostics and digital technology. These will support patients to better monitor their health, diagnose ill health sooner and improve the management of conditions like cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

The centres will bring together industry, academia and the healthcare system to develop and test products to support rehabilitation and help people with social care needs to maintain their independence. They will work closely with carers, patients and users at all stages.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ and its long-standing academic partner King’s College London are world leaders in developing new technologies, which help reduce healthcare inequalities and improve care for patients locally, nationally and internationally.

The cardio-respiratory HealthTech Research Centre will focus on 4 themes:

• cardiovascular diseases in adults
• technologies for children with congenital heart diseases
• cardiovascular interventions
• respiratory medicine

In addition to developing technologies to support and promote the use of health-tech at home, the centre will develop training for the next generation of health-tech innovators and researchers.

Amedeo Chiribiri, consultant cardiologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and professor of cardiovascular imaging at King’s College London, is co-director of the new HealthTech Research Centre.

Prof Chiribiri said: “I am proud to announce the NIHR cardiovascular and respiratory HealthTech Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' and King's College London. With the infrastructure provided by the centre, we will support the development of new technologies, growing health-tech in the UK and helping people live more independent and healthier lives for longer.”

Rachel Clough, consultant vascular surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and clinical senior lecturer in surgical and interventional engineering at King’s College London, is also the HealthTech Research Centre co-director.

Miss Clough added: “Building on the extensive expertise in the management of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory conditions, biomedical and clinical engineering, we are able to offer a centre based in the heart of London but with national remit, that will foster and accelerate the translation to bedside of new promising technologies for the benefit of patients, the NHS, and the British economy.”

Dr Emmanuel Akinluyi, chief biomedical engineer at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and deputy director of the centre, said: “Our geographical location is one of the keys to the success of our research, since Lambeth, Southwark, Kensington and Chelsea as a whole encompass some of the most diverse populations in the UK. Our strategy for public and patient engagement and equality, diversity and inclusion are designed to work with the local community and with our patients.”