One example of where Cambridge has already experienced success in this area is through the research conducted by Professor Nick Morrell, Professor of Cardiopulmonary Medicine, and his team at the Department of Medicine. Having identified a major genetic cause of heart and lung disease, their work has the potential to offer new approaches to treating this debilitating condition through drug therapies or gene therapy. Given that the only effective cure currently available for this condition is a heart and lung transplant, this is a vital area for progress.

Large-scale population studies, led by Professor John Danesh, Head of the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the Institute of Public Health, are at the same time serving to strengthen our understanding of the genetic and biological basis of cardiovascular diseases. This will enable early diagnosis and treatments which could improve not only quality of life but also ease the economic burden on health care systems associated with chronic conditions. Such studies could enable doctors to identify symptoms in 40-50 year olds that will lead to serious conditions in their 70s, allowing preventative action to be taken.