MRC Centre for Translational Research in Obesity and related Metabolic Diseases

肥胖是导致过早死亡和残疾的主要原因。肥胖与糖尿病的发展尤其密切相关，它伴随着失明、肾功能衰竭和截肢的风险。这些疾病正变得越来越常见。它们都是生活方式因素和遗传易感性共同作用的结果。现在我们开始在了解这些遗传和生活方式因素的性质方面取得进展，我们需要更准确地了解它们是如何相互作用导致疾病的。当我们这样做时，我们将能够更好地将我们的预防和治疗努力以正确的方式对准正确的个人。这个应用程序来自一群科学家，他们中的一些人在基础科学实验室工作，一些人在研究病人，还有一些人在公共卫生领域工作。我们希望将我们的个人技能和知识结合在一起，创建一个肥胖症和糖尿病研究中心，这个中心比各个部分的总和更重要。通过慈善和其他来源，我们已经为剑桥的一座新建筑筹集了2000万英镑，作为该中心的中心，现在正指望MRC帮助我们提供研究所需的核心研究设施(包括设备和专业技术人员)。MRC的资助还将使我们能够在这个重要但相对被忽视的领域增加我们培训的学生数量。

Obesity is a major cause of premature death and disability. Obesity is particularly closely linked to the development of diabetes, with its attendant risks of blindness, kidney failure and amputation. These diseases are becoming more common. They both result from a combination of lifestyle factors and genetic susceptibility. Now that we are beginning to make strides in understanding the nature of these genetic and lifestyle factors, we need to better understand exactly how they interact to result in disease. When we do so, we will be in a much better position to target our attempts at prevention and treatment in the right way to the right individuals. This application comes from a group of scientists, some based in basic science laboratories, some working with patients, yet others working in the area of public health. We want to bring our individual skills and knowledge together to create a Centre for research in obesity and diabetes that is greater than the sum of its parts. Through charitable and other sources we have already raised #20M for a new building in Cambridge to act as the hub for this Centre and are now looking to the MRC to help us to provide the core research facilities (including equipment and specialised technical staff) required for our studies. The MRC funding would also enable us to increase the number of students we train in this important but relatively neglected area.