Patient Led Research Hub
The Cambridge Patient Led Research Hub (PLRH) supports patient-led rare disease research, working in partnership with charities and patient groups to deliver clinical studies based on patients’ own research questions.
Patients understand their condition and healthcare needs better than many medical professionals do. They may also have important ideas about what research would be most beneficial to their lives. However, due to the complexity and cost involved in running clinical trials, most research originates with the pharmaceutical industry or academic researchers.
The PLRH was established in 2015 and is a collaboration between the Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), with support from the Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit. In 2022, the PLRH shifted focus to rare disease, and now only accepts ideas relevant to this community. If your idea is feasible, we’ll help you co-produce your research with researchers and clinical experts.
The PLRH receives indirect funding from the NIHR via the NIHR Cambridge BRC.
Research in numbers
Since its inception, over 60 ideas for new research studies have been submitted from charities and members of the public.
Find out more about suggesting a research topic on the PLRH website, or watch their talk on YouTube (from February 2022) on how the team supports research ideas at Cambridge University Hospitals.
Discover more about the NIHR Cambridge BRC
Contact us by phone, email or web for more information.
Events Calendar
Listing relevant events and training sessions for researchers and members of the public.