A research group led by Professor John McLaughlin has secured a £200K grant from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Global Challenges Research Fund that will be used to improve the understanding and development of nutritional and clinical sciences in low and middle income countries (LMIC).
Building on the existing research strengths from across The University of Manchester and expertise in nutritional studies at Salford Royal, the research group (named MaNGO, Manchester Global ‘Omics) will develop strong links with LMIC partners initially in India and South Africa, connecting key aspects of nutritional and clinical sciences. It will advance new areas where nutritional research can play a major role in LMIC settings, but also with a global relevance – including here in the UK.
The grant will be used to extend existing networks and create new ones and to define and refine the key research questions to be addressed. Focusing primarily on nutrition in pregnancy, early development and childhood growth, workshops will also be developed covering topics such as nutrition and infectious diseases, (such as pulmonary tuberculosis), and nutrition and non-communicable diseases (such as auto-immunity and food allergy)
This initial research will be essential to ensure the successful for the delivery of future international projects in LMICs.