Wales Cancer Research Centre is proud to be supporting the new ‘Where Would We Be Without Research’ campaign led by Health and Care Research Wales, one of our funders.
The campaign, launched on 23 February, will shine a light on the ground-breaking research which has already changed lives of hundreds of people in Wales. It will also highlight the variety of ways in which people from all communities can help in the future.
Covid-19 research
Over the past 22 months over 47,000 Welsh people have participated in urgent public health studies into COVID-19. Volunteers have helped inform the booster programme; supported the development of four new vaccines; and informed the vaccine roll out programme for 12-15-
year-olds to name a few.
But that’s just a snapshot of the life-saving research being conducted in Wales.
Professor Kieran Walshe, Director of Health and Care Research Wales said:
“People who had never thought much about research before were involved in the development of vaccines, clinical trials and treatments and the results from the research made headline news, giving real hope in the fight against the virus.
“But researchers in Wales have been at the heart of vital research for years into conditions such as diabetes, cancer, dementia and developing new technologies such as virtual reality headsets for post-traumatic stress disorder and robot arms to support epilepsy surgeries.
“The ‘Where Would We Be Without Research’ campaign reminds us what our world would be like if those researchers, scientists, academics and research delivery staff weren’t there. We wouldn’t have medicines like paracetamol and penicillin, or any of the diagnostic tests and treatments which save and improve lives in Wales and across the world.”
Dr Nicola Williams, Director of Support and Delivery at Health and Care Research Wales said:
“People rely on research happening in the background to ensure their dad, sister or niece get the best treatment and diagnosis, but it all relies on individuals happy to help researchers.
“This can be done through clinical trials, commenting on study set-up or being part of a focus group – without those volunteers many people wouldn’t be here today.”
Dr Mererid Evans, Director of the Wales Cancer Research Centre said:
“As cancer researchers and clinicians, patients are at the heart of everything we do. Wales has an outstanding track record of innovative cancer research, which will be strengthened by our forthcoming Cancer Research Strategy. Ground-breaking research leads to more cures, better support for patients and improves the overall health of people in Wales
“We are very grateful for the continued support of our funders Health and Care Research Wales. We applaud this valuable campaign, which shines a spotlight on the research community in Wales and the important role the public has to play. We hope it will encourage more people to take an active interest in research, and we look forward to welcoming new volunteers.”
There are many different motivations to help with research and the campaign aims to ensure as many people as possible can get involved.
For more information about the campaign and opportunities to help with research visit www.healthandcareresearchwales.org/withoutresearch or follow the conversation on social media @ResearchWales