Published: 19 December 2018

On Wednesday 19 December 2018 a cross-party group of parliamentarians joined Sir Paul Nurse and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research for a tour of the Francis Crick Institute, Europe’s largest research institute under one roof. They saw how scientists from across the world come together to share ideas, expertise and experience and heard about the need to protect this under any future immigration system.

The tour brought parliamentarians to see first-hand how those who support, undertake and lead research work together on biomedical research, and why this collaboration is so vital.

Paul Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute, commented: “It was a pleasure to introduce the parliamentarians to our research scientists who are amongst the very best from around the world and are contributing greatly to the UK research endeavour. We benefit from the expertise and perspectives of a wide range of researchers and support staff from Europe and further afield. For UK science to continue to flourish, the government has to be welcoming, both in tone and in policy, to the highly talented people attracted to come and work here."

The Crick is a biomedical discovery institute dedicated to understanding the biology underlying health and disease. From dementia and cancer to HIV and tuberculosis, the international researchers collaborating at the Crick are helping to find new ways to understand and prevent disease.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Rohan Bundell, the APPG’s administrator, on:

0207 685 2633 and [email protected].

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• For more information about the APPG on Medical Research go to https://www.amrc.org.uk/all-party-parliamentary-group-on-medical-research
• The AMRC, the Academy of Medical Sciences, Alzheimer's Research UK, Versus Arthritis, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council, and Wellcome together support the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research. The AMRC provides the secretariat support to the group. 
• Established in 2005, the group provides a forum and network for parliamentarians with an interest in medical research. It aims to facilitate collaboration between parliamentarians and medical research bodies and to provide up-to-date information on developments in medical research, including aspects of public health, the ethics of research and the implications of research findings for society.
• The APPG on Medical Research includes MPs and Peers from across the political parties.