Since 2007, the NIHR Moorfields Clinical Research Facility (CRF) has pioneered the translation of laboratory discoveries for the benefit of patients with eye conditions.
This includes the first gene therapy to cure an inherited human disease and the first stem cell membrane therapy to treat the most common cause of blindness in the developed world.
Such landmark medical advances have cemented our pre-eminent international reputation for ophthalmic experimental medicine attracting biotech, device and pharmaceutical industry investment that is underpinned by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), spanning Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
Our aims
- Widen our patient-oriented experimental medicine and early phase trial portfolio to serve our diverse community
- Train and develop world-class researchers in ophthalmology
- Grow our public and industry partnerships
For details of the services we offer, please click here.
Our facility
- Moorfields Clinical Research Facility (CRF) has an international reputation for ophthalmic research. With world-class researchers and staff supported by investment in state-of-the-art specialist devices, Moorfields CRF has 26 patient examination rooms with multiple associated research and treatment units to test new methods to diagnose eye diseases and to evaluate innovative treatments for common and rare diseases.
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is located on City Road, is the largest provider of eye service globally. We are a world-leading centre of excellence for research and education and are at the forefront of ophthalmic innovation. As a major education centre, we attract very large numbers of ophthalmology trainees and researchers.
- The £20 million Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre is the largest ophthalmic children’s hospital in the world and is located on the main hospital campus. A hub for paediatric research and treatment, it supports world-class specialist expertise in all eye conditions. The rapid transference of ‘bench to bedside’ research is promoted by its proximity to the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
- Henry Wellcome Building for Translational Eye Research (£11M Wellcome Trust funding) supports extensive cellular and molecular biology facilities for cellular and gene therapies, gene editing, ocular pharmacokinectic, microdevice testing and retinal chip research. It houses stem cell therapy groups including Cells for Sight, the first UK MHRA accredited facility for human stem cell therapy.
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology has the largest number of ophthalmic scientists in Europe. Our research partnership is delivering an extensive provider of ophthalmic research portfolio, ranked 1st globally for publications. Its location adjacent to Moorfields Eye Hospital enables rapid translation of biomedical research to clinical studies at Moorfields CRF.
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