#Red4Research 2025: A day to thank the amazing people who make research happen
This #Red4Research day we are celebrating the vital contribution of the research staff working to develop the diagnostics, treatments, therapies and vaccines of the future.
Research saves lives, improves care and empowers people with knowledge. But it doesn’t happen by accident - it takes dedication, collaboration and hard work. From our bustling cities to coastal communities, research teams are helping to change lives across Wales.
In the last 12 months, over 15,495 people have taken part in research across 798 research studies and there are currently 604 studies open in Wales. These studies include:
This study from Health and Care Economics Cymru (HCEC) aims to improve support for mothers, including those returning to work after having a child, by conducting the first-ever economic analysis of perinatal anxiety.
Since launching, the study has also been expanded to analyse the economic impact of birth trauma, something affecting 30,000 women each year.
It aims to develop advice to improve care and support for women in the future.
A groundbreaking Europe-wide gene therapy trial could potentially stop the progression of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a form of early onset dementia, with a single procedure.
People with FTD who have a specific gene mutation produce a reduced amount of a protein called progranulin. The investigational therapy uses a minimally-invasive procedure to deliver a functional copy of the GRN gene directly to the brain. This could potentially restore progranulin levels and, crucially, stop progression of the disease.
Patients are currently being recruited to the trial at the Advanced Neurotherapies Centre in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – the only location open in the UK.
Making medicines more accessible to patients is essential to reducing pressures on out-of-hours and emergency services. Groundbreaking technology is being trialled in Dolgellau, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which allows patients to access medication urgently through a vending machine.
During the two-year trial, people who contact NHS 111 out of hours and require medication urgently will be offered the option to collect it directly from the machine outside Dolgellau Hospital via a unique code.
Dr Nicola Williams, National Director of Support and Delivery said:
Health and care research continues to be a powerful force for change leading to improvements in care, informing policy and shaping the future of services across Wales. At the heart of this progress are the dedicated research staff who carry out and run these studies.
We are proud of the research community in Wales and the difference they make every day. Health and Care Research Wales is committed to supporting and developing our research staff, and ensuring research continues to thrive and deliver real benefits for people and communities in Wales and beyond.”
It takes a team for life-changing research to happen – and this is our team in Wales
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