Millions in funding secured for health research at UEA
The funding will support pioneering research into areas such as mental health inequalities, dementia, and palliative care.
Last updated 3rd Feb 2026
The University of East Anglia UEA is set to benefit from £15.3 million in funding aimed at tackling real-world health and care issues across the East of England and beyond.
This funding comes from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) as part of a larger £157 million investment over five years, distributed among 10 Applied Research Collaborations (ARC).
At UEA, the funding will support pioneering research into areas such as mental health inequalities, dementia, and palliative care.
Of five programme themes that will share the funding in the region, UEA researchers are leading or co-leading on four key areas.
Professor Kristy Sanderson, from UEA’s School of Health Sciences, will spearhead a programme dedicated to mental health and wellbeing, with a focus on neurodiverse people, women from underserved communities, and reducing mental health inequalities.
Dr Adam Wagner, based at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, will lead in understanding and evaluating health and social care needs alongside methods to improve services.
Research on dementia, ageing, and social care will be co-led by Dr Tamara Backhouse, also from the School of Health Sciences, focusing on under-served populations like rural and coastal communities, and exploring technologies including AI.
Professor Morag Farquhar will lead projects on palliative and end-of-life care across all age groups, alongside work involving unpaid and family carers.
All programme themes stem from consultations lasting six months involving Integrated Care Boards, patients, the public, academics, and service providers.
UEA’s leadership on these programmes is matched by its representation at the highest levels of ARC East of England’s operations.
Professor Philip Baker, Pro Vice Chancellor for Medicine and Health Sciences, has been appointed to the ARC board, which oversees strategy and financial accountability.
Professor Christopher Burton, Dean of UEA’s School of Health Sciences, will join its Management Operations Group, ensuring effective collaboration between ARC and partner universities.
Meanwhile, Dr Naoko Kishita, also from UEA’s School of Health Sciences, will lead efforts to develop research capacity, particularly among emerging leaders, through ARC East of England.
NIHR ARC East of England, hosted by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and involving five regional universities, has already delivered substantial results since its inception in 2019.
An initial funding boost of £9 million four years ago led to over 260 research projects and the generation of an estimated £62 million in additional funding.
Professor Stephen Morris, from the University of Cambridge, will assume the role of ARC East of England director on 1st April 2024.
He said: “It is an honour to lead the NIHR ARC East of England into its next phase. Our work is most powerful when it is rooted in partnership with patients, the public, practitioners and researchers across the region.
“This new funding allows us to build on strong foundations and ensure that the research we deliver genuinely responds to the priorities of our communities and improves lives across health and social care.”