Experimental Medicine

The Experimental Medicine research theme unites experts from fields like chemistry, physics, engineering and social science, to translate scientific discoveries into real-world health solutions.

We focus on developing diagnostics, therapies, and clinical trials that improve patient outcomes, with a strong emphasis on global health and tailored approaches for infectious and inflammatory diseases, particularly in low-resource settings.

Key initiatives include the Baillie Gifford Pandemic Science Hub, which enhances global preparedness and rapid response to emerging health threats by identifying targets for new treatments. 

Another important project is the Healthcare Technology Accelerator Facility (HTAF) which drives the development of healthcare technologies across the Edinburgh BioQuarter. This includes the creation of chemical ingredients for new drugs, developing sterile packaging, and using medical robots to help push innovation further.  

Using advanced models - such as organ-on-a-chip, perfused organ systems, and controlled human infection models - we accelerate the journey from lab to clinic, supported by our strength in disease modelling and clinical trials. This includes early-stage “phase 0” trials that involve only a small number of people but can provide some of the first insights into how a new treatment works.

Key areas of focus

  • Translation
  • Therapeutics
  • Diagnostics
  • Global health impact
  • Genomics and bioinformatic approaches (Baillie Gifford Pandemic Science Hub)
  • Healthcare Technology Accelerator Facility (HTAF)
  • Human models of disease
  • Clinical trials

Theme Leads: Till Bachmann and Jonathan Fallowfield

Fungal hyphae growing the on the surface of a contact lens.
Fungal hyphae growing the on the surface of a contact lens (credit: Dr Beth Mills)

This article was published on