New Pandemic Institute will put Liverpool ‘at the forefront of global research’

The multi-million pound Pandemic Institute will be located in The Spine, at Paddington Village and is dedicated to helping the world “prevent, prepare and respond more effectively to pandemics”.
The Pandemic Institute at The Spine: Image thepandemicinstitute.orgThe Pandemic Institute at The Spine: Image thepandemicinstitute.org
The Pandemic Institute at The Spine: Image thepandemicinstitute.org

The headquarters of a new scientific institute offering “world-leading clinical research expertise” on pandemics is to be based in Liverpool.

The multi-million pound Pandemic Institute, launched on Monday, will be located in The Spine, at Paddington Village and is dedicated to helping the world “prevent, prepare and respond more effectively to pandemics”.

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The University of Liverpool academic behind the idea for the institute described the launch as “tremendously exciting for the city”.

Pandemic Institute director, Matthew Baylis told LiverpoolWorld: “In Liverpool we are going to be at the forefront of this research.

“We have an unrivalled breadth of expertise in this city. This is a fantastic partnership including the universities, hospitals, local government and the community.”

What is the Pandemic Institute?

The Institute will seek to predict and identify “pathogens of pandemic potential” and will look at accelerating the development and rollout of vaccines.

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There will be a new human challenge facility, where volunteers will test vaccines in a “safe hospital environment”.

There is already one in the city used for flu research.

The Pandemic Institute is a medical, academic and civic partnership between the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool).

The programme plans to further expand on an existing network of contacts, developing expert teams in South East Asia, Africa and South America who can be rapidly mobilised to respond to emerging crises.

The Pandemic Institute is at the heart of an extensive global network of partners. Image: thepandemicinstitute.orgThe Pandemic Institute is at the heart of an extensive global network of partners. Image: thepandemicinstitute.org
The Pandemic Institute is at the heart of an extensive global network of partners. Image: thepandemicinstitute.org

The launch was funded with a £10 million donation from Innova Medical Group - the world’s largest provider of rapid antigen tests.

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Professor Baylis told LiverpoolWorld the institute is in the process of raising a further £250 million to turn the “vision into a reality” and is in the “latter stages of talks” with funders.

Why was Liverpool chosen?

Liverpool has been working in the field of infectious diseases research for over 120 years and the man driving the project is a leading academic at the University of Liverpool.

Professor Baylis explained further: “Liverpool was the first city in the world to trial COVID-19 community testing as a whole. I came up with the idea of starting this [a pandemic institute], but my vision was much smaller and others picked it up and it has become broader.

“It is really fantastic and hugely ambitious project looking at how the world might prepare and respond to a pandemic.”

Pandemic Institute director Matthew Baylis. Image: thepandemicinstitute.orgPandemic Institute director Matthew Baylis. Image: thepandemicinstitute.org
Pandemic Institute director Matthew Baylis. Image: thepandemicinstitute.org
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· Liverpool is unique in higher education globally, hosting medical, veterinary, public health, tropical medicine and behavioural science schools and institutes.

· The city has an ‘unrivalled’ breadth of world-leading clinical and academic expertise required to deliver a response to both the current and future pandemics, all located on one campus.

· Liverpool was the first city globally to undertake a city-wide smart COVID-19 testing pilot in November 2020, which cut transmission rates by a fifth. The city also hosted large-scale pilots, including nightclub events, to test the impact of the spread of COVID-19

· The city has been at the centre of global pandemic research and science for many years and is home to some of the world’s brightest minds in infectious diseases.

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· Liverpool is a national leader in genomic sequencing, the crucial first step to understanding a pathogen and developing vaccines and treatments.

· Liverpool hosts one of only five High Consequences Infectious Disease Units in the UK.

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Daniel Elliott, CEO and President of Innova Medical Group, said: “Innova is committed to improving pandemic outcomes globally and we were attracted to Liverpool after being impressed by the unparalleled amount of large-scale pilot research programmes and the guidance on global public health policy that Liverpool provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are passionate about supporting organisations that will make a difference and it is clear now that pandemics are the biggest threat to the health of the world’s population, and that is why we are excited to support Liverpool’s partners with the Pandemic Institute, which has the potential to save lives and improve health outcomes for communities across the globe.”