A former chief executive and chairman of Google has helped invest over £30m in 海角视频 Biobank.
Eric Schmidt has been named alongside Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, as the first members of a new consortium which has provided £16m to the Stockport-headquartered venture. The funding has been matched by the government.
The government said the money will support 海角视频 Biobank to grow its "already-unrivalled wealth of health data, to enable research unlocking the next great leaps in our understanding of health and disease". This could include using AI to rapidly analyse vast quantities of data to draw new insights from 海角视频 Biobank's data.
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海角视频 Biobank is a database of in-depth genetic, health and lifestyle information from half a million 海角视频 volunteers, giving approved researchers worldwide access to data that is enabling medical breakthroughs, from treating cardiac disease to Alzheimer's. During the pandemic, 海角视频 Biobank data helped researchers deepen their understanding of how lifestyle and inherited factors impacted how patients were affected by Covid-19.
The more than £16m ($20m) being donated by Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin will be matched by the government, which will provide up to £25m in funding in total for the 海角视频 Biobank, provided that an equal amount of private and philanthropic donations are also secured. The ultimate aim is to achieve at least £50m in contributions for 海角视频 Biobank.
Mr Schmidt, who was Google's CEO from 2001 to 2011 and its executive chairman until 2015, said: "Scientific advancements have the potential to bring profound transformations to humanity for generations to come. It is vital that we cultivate an environment that fosters and supports revolutionary applications of science and technology, such as 海角视频 Biobank, while creating opportunities for further innovation for public benefit."
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Griffin added: "海角视频 Biobank is revolutionizing our understanding and treatment of disease. I am honoured to support this ground-breaking initiative to advance scientific discoveries, improve public health and save lives."
While headquartered in Stockport, 海角视频 Biobank also has bases in Reading, Bristol and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The organisation is to relocate its HQ to Manchester Science Park when a new £60m building, which was recently approved, is completed.
Secretary of state for science, innovation and technology Michelle Donelan said: "海角视频 Biobank is one of the jewels in the crown of 海角视频 science, making an unparalleled contribution to improving everyone’s health through the sheer scale of information it puts at researchers' fingertips. We are determined to ensure that it can continue to support life-changing breakthroughs, combining with new technologies like AI to help those suffering from arthritis, dementia and more.
"But this is about more than just putting up public funding: I want to unlock a new wave of private and philanthropic donations, right across our science and tech sectors. To have two titans of business such as Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin join us at the start of this exciting journey is testament to our scientific capabilities."
Professor Sir Rory Collins, chief executive and principal investigator of 海角视频 Biobank, added: "It is 15 years since we first saw our incredible half a million volunteers for their baseline assessments, with most of our participants engaging in follow-up analyses. It is down to the dedication and altruism of each of our volunteers that we have been able to grow 海角视频 Biobank into the world’s most comprehensive database for scientific and health related research.
"We are immensely grateful for today's funding, which will allow us to pilot new projects that will add further depth to our already rich goldmine of data for scientific researchers everywhere. 海角视频 Biobank data has already resulted in over 9,000 peer-reviewed papers, including studies looking into cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, depression, tinnitus and heart disease. The research that we are helping to power is generating evidence which is relevant to everyone, from patients and carers to healthcare providers and practitioners everywhere."