Rare diseases are those that affect around 110,000 people in Northern Ireland.
With 1 in 17 individuals impacted by a rare condition, and hence have a large impact on local communities.
At Ulster University, we work with the Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership with the vision that no one is disadvantaged because of the rarity of their condition.
Excellence in research
We bring excellence in research and ground-breaking opportunities right to the heart of the rare disease community.
Our research groups across the university are combining their expertise to form an alliance against Rare Diseases (Ulster-RARE).
Ulster-RARE carry out a range of research covering:
- the genetics of rare diseases
- the cellular mechanisms
- the environmental causes that are potentially modifiable
- the natural history and treatment of rare diseases.
Rare Diseases Teaching Harmonisation Program
To raise awareness on Rare Diseases among future researchers and medical staff across Ireland, we also actively participate to the Rare Diseases Teaching Harmonisation Program.
Locations
Based across four campuses in Northern Ireland, we are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and specialist laboratories to aid our cutting-edge research and teaching programs.
Magee Campus/Altnagelvin Hospital
The Magee campus and the UU research teams at Altnagelvin Hospital enable the NHS strategic emphasis on development of multi-disciplinary teams and rich opportunities for interprofessional learning.
Personalised Medicine Centre
Our Personalised Medicine Centre encompasses UU staff and NHS clinicians, and has strong interactions with key industry partners, stakeholders and patients. The research developed within this centre aims to identify diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for a range of degenerative diseases including rare diseases (eg: neuromuscular disorders, cystic fibrosis, childhood leukaemia, multiple sclerosis etc) by studying our genome, transcriptome, proteome and metabolome profiles.
Northern Irish Motor Neurone Diseases biobank
Along with our federated degenerative disease repository of samples, we created a Northern Irish Motor Neurone Diseases biobank.
In addition, the knowledge generated within the Personalised Medicine Centre is transferred to an up-to date BSc Hons and MSc teaching program, training future researchers with skills in translational research, bioinformatics and cellular and molecular biology.
School of Medicine and School of Nursing
Our new Paramedic teaching provision, and School of Medicine run alongside our award-winning School of Nursing, that has operated in the city for 20 years.
NMC Competence Test Centre
Our Magee campus also runs one of only three Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) competency test centres in the UK, established to increase nursing capacity and help alleviate pressures in the health sector.
Bringing these programmes together opens up opportunities for a truly rich, interdisciplinary student learning environment, as well as research collaborations in personalised medicine and cognitive analytics.
Coleraine Campus, Ulster University
At Coleraine, we develop an elite research environment for curious minds.
Through investment in state-of-the-art technology, our Coleraine campus is poised for an exciting new chapter.
Biomedical Science Research Institute
Biomedical Science Research Institute at Ulster University has an outstanding record of success in research focusing on health and investigating the underlying causes of human diseases (including rare conditions such as cystic fibrosis, retintis pigmentosa, corneal dystrophies or rare paediatric eye diseases etc).
Our Institute at Coleraine offers a state-of-the-art environment for high profile researchers to do agenda-setting research in priority areas of biomedicine.
The scientific knowledge generated within the research institute is transferred to students via the 105 courses on Coleraine campus.
Partnership with Pearson
In addition, we have just launched a major new partnership with Pearson, the world’s leading learning company.
This new partnership will allow more students around the world to benefit from an Ulster University learning experience in progressive degree courses in Biomedical Science and Health Psychology.
Jordanstown Campus, Ulster University
Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus is located just seven miles north of Belfast, and has a strong profile in computing, built environment, business, engineering, health sciences and communication.
Institute for Nursing and Health Research (INHR)
The campus is also home to the Institute for Nursing and Health Research (INHR) with a strong expertise in public health. Our Maternal, Fetal and Infant Research Centre (MFIR), within INHR, has a long track record of epidemiologic research on rare diseases, particularly congenital anomalies (e.g. spina bifida, congenital heart disease, gastroschisis).
The research in this centre aims to identify the modifiable environmental causes of congenital anomalies, and also investigates clinical, developmental, health service and patient and public involvement aspects.
Expertise in design
We have expertise in the design and use of population-based registries for research and surveillance, analysing linked administrative health databases, and mHealth (design of apps for use in low/middle income countries).
Our research
Our research is mainly European including European surveillance of congenital anomalies, two networks addressing medication safety in pregnancy, and a children’s cohort study.
Vist the following sites for more:
We also carry out studies on the population of Northern Ireland, with a special interest in congenital heart disease, and further afield in Latin America and Africa in relation to Zika, antiretrovirals and other risk factors, see Improving birth defect surveillance worldwide * Global Birth Defects (tghn.org) and Home * Sub-Saharan Congenital Anomalies Network (tghn.org)
EUROmediCAT central database
We established and continue to manage and update the EUROmediCAT central database, a huge database derived from European congenital anomaly registries, used for pharmacovigilance research.
Belfast Campus, Ulster University
The Belfast campus development will be a catalyst for our transformative approach to teaching.
Increasing campus presence and usage, improving learning environments and offering relaxed social learning spaces to encourage collaborative learning.