Care Minister visits CUBRIC

The University has played host to UK Government Minister for Care and Support, Norman Lamb MP.

Accompanied by Cardiff Central MP Jenny Willott, the Minister visited Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) to learn about the Centre's ground-breaking research.

During his tour, the Minister saw first-hand some of the University's work in brain mapping, neuroscience, and clinical research and genetics, and discovered how the Centre's research is facilitating new approaches to understanding mental health.  

The Minister also toured the construction site of the Centre's new £44M building, set to be completed in spring 2016. the new Centre will become the latest edition to the University's multi-million Research and Innovation hub on Maindy Road and will co-locate world-leading expertise in brain mapping with the very latest in brain imaging and brain stimulation; a combination of facilities and expertise unique in Europe.  As a hub for neuroimaging, CUBRIC will consolidate smart-specialisation expertise in neuroimaging in Wales and will be comparable in scale with facilities in North America.

The new facility will include a suite of equipment including a 7T scanner, enabling unprecedented higher resolution imaging of brain chemistry, structure and function.  It will support the Centre's expanding team of neuroscientists and build on existing research excellence. 

The cost of the building and cutting edge equipment includes some £22M in funding and grants awarded to CUBRIC researchers from organisations including the Wolfson Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the EPSRC, the Medical Research Council, and Welsh Government.

To date, the Centre's work has resulted in wideranging and lasting impact outside academia helping to better understand the causes of neurological conditions such as dementia, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis, unearthing vital clues for the development of better treatments.