We are thrilled the Department of Statistics will remain a part of the Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (HPRU EZI) team with the Pandemics Science Institute (PSI). The University of Liverpool, the host of the HPRU, has been award £5.5 million by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to maintain the research unit.
With the new iteration of the HPRU EZI due to the new award, means the continuation of the partnership between the University of Oxford, the University of Liverpool, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has recently joined the partnership, further enhancing the high-quality research carried out by the HPRU.
Our department members, alongside the team from PSI, will continue active contribution to the research into emerging and zoonotic infections, i.e. infections which spread from animals to humans. The contributions include DPhil studentships, patient and public engagement and involvements (particularly those from marginalised communities), and work on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).
The Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU)
The HPRU in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (EZI) was established in 2014 between the University of Oxford, the University of Liverpool, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the UKHSA. It is one of the units across the UK that help the UKHSA to carry out research of the highest quality to inform and support public health policies, practices, and services, so the UKHSA can protect us from emerging infections.
To ensure the work provides highest value and the most impact, the HPRU EZI will collaborate extensively. This ambition is currently being realised through several new collaborations, two of which are major institutions: the Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow, and The Pandemic Institute, Liverpool.
Safeguarding the Public
A total of 13 new HPRUs were announced recently by NIHR, as part of a £80 million research investment to keep the public safe from current and emerging public health threats. The HPRUs, which are all partnerships between top universities and UKHSA, will launch in April 2025 and run for five years.
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