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John Dawson Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute

The John Dawson Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute's mission is to translate knowledge and innovations from laboratory research and data science to the development of novel therapies and products, and their evaluation in clinical practice.

A student dressed in a white lab coat and protective eyewear and gloves using a pipette in a laboratory
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The University benefitted from a generous, multi-million-pound donation from John Dawson, a former student and pharmaceutical entrepreneur, which facilitated the creation of the John Dawson Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute in 2023. The Institute is housed in The John Dawson Sciences Complex. The Institute is strategically positioned to facilitate research translation through innovative partnership working with industry and the NHS, and brings together expertise in clinical, laboratory, and data science to address issues of local, national and international importance, which align with the priorities of external funding bodies.

Workstreams

The Institute encompasses translational biomedical research across four workstreams:

Institute governance

The John and Sam Dawson PhD Scholarship Programme

The John and Sam Dawson PhD Scholarship Programme was established to support the ongoing sustainability of the Institute, invest in the career development of young scientists, and in students who will be future advocates for the University.

Current funded studentships

  • Georgia Howick: Development of novel prodrugs for the treatment of rare kidney diseases. Principal Investigator is Dr Stephanie Myers.
  • Jamie Jordan: An investigation into the role of Altered Molecular Signalling in Drug Resistance Prostate Cancer. Principal Investigator is Dr Steven Darby.
  • Jenileima Devi: Harnessing Soil Metagenomics for the Discovery of Novel Antibiotics. Principal Investigator is Dr Nick Allenby.
  • Sarah Helm: Metabolic enhancements for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies, towards improved efficacy in solid and haematological malignancies. Principal Investigator is Dr Jane Falconer.

Research opportunities

Our PhD Studentships are open to recent graduates or final year undergraduates who have, or expect to achieve, a degree equivalent to at least a UK 2:1 degree in a relevant subject. A related master’s degree is also an advantage.

MRC Impact Acceleration Account

The University has been successful in securing a prestigious UK Research and Innovation/MRC Impact Accelerator Account (IAA) award(opens in new tab). The IAA supports proof-of-concept studies designed to accelerate the translation of research that aims to improve healthcare to the point where significant national academic and/or commercial funding can be secured.

The fund is part of the UKRI IAA funding programme 2022–2027.

The University of Sunderland IAA award will fund projects of up to £60k for 6–12 months, and projects should clearly address an unmet clinical need.