NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF)

Location: CCRC, Level 2.

An expert team supports research diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy procedures, including gastroscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound. The team also undertakes breath biopsy procedures and therapeutic apheresis cell collection and processing for cell therapy studies.

Operates Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.

• A state-of-the-art Evelyn Trust Research Endoscopy Suite including:
  • Equipment for therapeutic procedures including endoscopic mucosal resection, argon plasma coagulation, heat coagulation and radiofrequency ablation
  • Bespoke multispectral endoscope and latest endoscopy light source system
  • Confocal endomicroscope for real-time histological assessment during endoscopy procedures
  • Audiovisual link for videoconferencing of live procedures
  • Theatre airflow compliance at 30 cycles per minute
• A theatre-standard procedure unit
• Automated endoscope reprocessor and drying room
• 2 recovery rooms, each containing 2 beds observable from the nurse base
• 2 patient changing rooms
• 2 consulting rooms
• Mobile air filtration units for aerosol-generation procedures
• Sample processing room
• Dedicated patient waiting room

Location: CCRC, Level 3.

A dedicated team delivers complex, early-phase clinical trials in specialties including oncology, haematology, nephrology, hepatology and vasculitis. The team has expertise in delivering phase 1 to phase 2a clinical trials, including first-in-human drug trials, specializing in immunotherapy and advanced therapies. The unit has a direct corridor link to NHS emergency facilities, taking two minutes to reach intensive care.

Operates 7 days per week, 24 hours per day.

• 6 high-dependency-unit specification beds in rooms with en-suite bathrooms:
  • 3-bedded ward directly observable from nurse station
  • 2-bedded ward directly observable from nurse station
  • 1-bedded side room
• The 5 beds in the 2 wards have remote cardiac telemetry
• 2 consulting rooms
• Resident medical officer on-call room
• Drug preparation room including biosafety cabinet
• Complex sample processing room.

Location: ACCI Building, Level 5.

Research with children, young people and pregnant women is conducted in age-appropriate environments by a dedicated team experienced in delivering complex experimental medicine and translational research, including drug, advanced therapy, medical device trials, and observational studies.

Our team includes both qualified paediatric and adult nurses.

Operates 7 days per week, 24 hours per day.

• Separate waiting areas for adults and young people
• Parent waiting room
• 8 inpatient beds comprising 5 single and 2 twin-bed rooms
• 5 consulting rooms
• 2 investigation rooms
• Paediatric phlebotomy suite
• Sample processing room
• Tissue Culture room with ducted Class 2 biosafety cabinet
• Electromagnet sealed room for electrophysiology measurement
• Specialist Paediatric Nurse outreach to support trial delivery in other CRF units

Location: CCRC, Level 5.

A dedicated team delivers complex, high-intensity research in adults in diverse specialties including neurodegenerative disease, mental health and vaccine trials. A flexible NIHR Cambridge CRF Outreach Team recruits and delivers complex trial interventions in the host NHS Trust inpatient population.

Operates 7 days per week, 24 hours per day.

• 6 inpatient single rooms
• ‘Near-patient testing’ facilities, with hatches to patient rooms
• Nurse-led lumbar puncture expertise for cerebral spinal fluid collection
• Remote cardiac telemetry
• Exercise testing room
• Sample processing room
• Clinical Trial Administration team
• CRF Outreach Team delivering experimental medicine research in the host NHS Trust inpatient population

Location: ACCI Building, Level 3.

A dedicated team delivers complex late phase trials that include nested experimental medicine and require specialist nursing skills. These trials are predominantly for chemotherapy and immunomodulatory agents in cancer and autoimmunity, as well as other clinical specialties including hepatology, haematology, vasculitis and rare diseases.

Operates Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

• 7 day-case beds
• 2 specialist investigation rooms:
  • Neurophysiology Testing Laboratory including equipment for thermosensory pain stimulation and assessment, and blood flow imaging for pain assessment.
  • Clinical Vision Laboratory, equipped to facilitate clinical research that helps to further our understanding of ocular and neurological disorders.
• 2 consulting rooms
• Patient waiting room
• Sample processing room
• Cytotoxic drug preparation room

The HLRI CRF is located in the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute, which is physically linked to Royal Papworth Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. It specialises in cardiorespiratory early phase trials and observational experimental medicine.

Operates Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.

• 10 inpatient beds, comprised of 2 single and 2 four-bed rooms
• 2 clinical physiology rooms including capacity for:
  • Exercise testing
  • Lung function assessment
  • Echocardiography
  • Non- and minimal- invasive cardiorespiratory digital assessments
  • Access to additional technologies in Royal Papworth Hospital, including PET-CT and AI-guided CT
  • 4 consulting rooms
  • 2 sample processing rooms

For enquiries, please email HLRI CRF.

Location: CCRC, Level 4 and 6.

The TRF is located immediately adjacent to the IMS and is connected to the existing Wellcome -NIHR Clinical Research Facility (CRF). It houses an 8-bedded unit for complex high intensity metabolic studies and a “non-clinical” environment to support studies into the cognitive neuroscience of eating behaviour.

The Facilities are customised for clinical studies in patients with severe obesity, include design features that enable studies of temperature regulation and circadian rhythm and house a large diet kitchen capable of preparing bespoke meals for long-term studies.

Metabolic Clinical Research Facility

• 6 fully equipped inpatient beds (2 single rooms; 2 double rooms)
• 2 sound-proofed rooms for overnight blood sampling through a “hole in the wall”
• Procedure room for taking muscle, fat and skin biopsies, placing sensors
• Sample handling room for immediate processing of blood samples and biopsies

We have access to two chamber calorimeters and portable indirect calorimetry, a body composition suite and exercise equipment in the adjacent CRF, as well as Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, 3T and 7T research MRI scanners.

More information on the Translational Research Facilities can be found on the University of Cambridge website (opens in a new tab).