Centre for Bone and Joint Health established at Queen Mary

The new Centre builds on the success of the Bone and Joint Health, established in 2019 through a major grant from Barts Charity. The evolution of the original clinical academic group into the Centre for Bone and Joint Health recognises the outstanding success of its unique approach to research. 

Over the last five years, the Unit has attracted over £17M in funding and expanded its clinical team to include members of the Allied Health Professions, orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists, and appointed four Professors. They have created a truly multidisciplinary team of 40 staff members from all aspects of musculoskeletal care – from translational research to rehabilitation. Its close ties with Barts Health NHS Trust and dedication to patient and public involvement ensure that its research is driven to deliver real-world impact to people in our local community of East London.  

The Bone and Joint Health group also established a pathway for education and training through integrated clinical academic training and contributed to the NIHR-funded INSIGHT programme, which developed clinical academic careers in nursing, midwifery, allied health professions, healthcare science, pharmacy, and psychology (NMAHPPs).  

The clinical and academic team design studies that are efficient, impactful and ready to inform delivery. Its research spans clinical trials, big data analytics, systematic reviews and interdisciplinary projects involving bioengineering and musculoskeletal science, and has received funding from Versus Arthritis, NIHR, and Barts Charity.  

Professor Xavier Griffin, Chair of the Centre for Bone and Joint Health, said: “1 in 5 people in England are affected by an MSK disorder or injuries. This has a huge impact on quality of life – leading to pain, reduced independence and even disability. Our mission is simple: to improve the health and care of people living with MSK disorders and injuries. Our research is focused on enhancing clinical effectiveness and patient outcomes - not in the abstract, but in practice. Patient and public involvement is integral, helping us ensure that our work meets real needs and makes a real difference. Whether we’re investigating inflammation pathways or testing surgical innovations, the goal is always to move promising ideas into meaningful improvements in care.” 

Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity, said: “Six years ago, we invested £2.9m to build the foundations to transform the health and wellbeing of people with bone and joint disorders and injuries. And today we’re celebrating the evolution of this, as the Bone and Joint Health group becomes a fully-fledged Centre. By bringing together research, education and care, the Centre for Bone and Joint Health is poised to bring enormous benefits for patients through research and innovation.”  

The new Centre, which is launching today (13 May), will sit within Queen Mary’s Blizard Institute, a world-class biomedical research institute that focuses on addressing the health needs of our local population, while delivering treatments on a global scale.