We have the expertise and facilities to enable the delivery of a wide variety of research projects. We work collaboratively with NHS, academic and commercial partners who share our goal of improving healthcare outcomes for patients.
We are fortunate to have the following dedicated research facilities:
At the Royal Sussex County Hospital, we are fortunate to have one of only 19 Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) in the UK.
CRFs provide dedicated departments and expert staff to deliver high intensity experimental research, and mean that patients are more likely to be offered the opportunity to participate in clinical trials.
Our CRF is designed to enhance opportunities for research, by providing the necessary space, equipment and expertise, alongside the infrastructure and support services that an NHS hospital offers. This enables research into novel interventions or treatments to be feasible and safe.
Equipped to process, analyse, freeze and dispatch human samples, our research laboratory is integral to the delivery of research. As well as providing support for hosted clinical trials, the lab is equipped with mass spectrometry, a micro array scanner, incubation and cell freezing facilities. It also offers bench space for off-site researchers who would like to run near-side patient tests.
Our lab team are trained in Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) and IATA (International Air Transport Association), and have experience handling many different sample types. We have -80°C and -20°C freezers on BSUH Trust premises, which are temperature monitored and have a 24-hour monitoring service, so samples are under constant surveillance.
In addition to processing and storage, the lab service can offer assistance:
- during study inception – in the form of protocol design/development and laboratory costing for grant applications
- post sample acquisition – in sample testing, data acquisition and analysis
All laboratory processes are covered by the Human Tissue Act.
For further information and assistance please contact our Laboratory Technical Manager, Dominika Wlazly (dominika.wlazly@nhs.net).
The facility, which is situated on the University of Sussex site in Falmer, houses imaging technology, a reception and visitor waiting area, a preparation suite, and PACS and CRIS enabled reporting rooms all under one roof.
Designed as a multi-user facility, CISC offers multimodal and quantitative imaging in addition to opportunities for integrative imaging. With 3T MRI and PET-CT scanners, CISC provides easy access to imaging platforms for patients enrolled on research studies at the Trust or in the CRF.
The pharmacy safeguards research participants, healthcare professionals and the Trust by ensuring Investigational Medicinal Products (IMPs) are appropriate for use and are procured, handled, stored and used safely and correctly.
The team are responsible for setting up and managing all IMPs. We also have a dedicated IMP aseptic unit that prepares novel drugs for administration.
