Paul Brown, De
puty Director of Research & Innovation (Operations) at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has an additional national role as Director of the UK Clinical Research Facility (CRF) Network, and recently addressed over 750 attendees at the UKCRF Network Conference 2025.
Held at Birmingham’s International Conference Centre, the two-day event brought together more than 1,000 delegates from across the UK and Ireland.
It marked the fourth national conference for the CRF Network, which is part of the research infrastructure of the NHS’s National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The network continues to grow in size and influence. It is hosted by Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), and in addition to his tole at LTHTR, Paul oversees a small operational team based at one of Manchester’s NIHR CRF’s, at the Royal Infirmary (MRI).
“It’s an interesting job and I really enjoy working across sites,” Paul said. “Research isn’t just something that happens in big cities. We have a NIHR CRF here in Lancashire too.”
Clinical Research Facilities are specialist centres for early-phase clinical trials, testing new drugs, devices, or interventions that are still in the safety and efficacy stage. These trials are typically higher risk and involve fewer patients, requiring dedicated infrastructure and expert clinical teams.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals hosts one such CRF, staffed by doctors, nurses, and research professionals. In addition to the CRF, five other clinical teams across the Trust recruit for later-phase trials, particularly in outpatient and inpatient settings.
“Our biggest research audience, especially at Royal Preston Hospital, is in cancer,” Paul explained. “Oncology is our main area of activity, followed closely by neuroscience and renal. We’ve also started to do more cancer vaccine work at our facility.”
There are now 60 CRFs across the UK and Ireland, formally united as a network in 2010. Paul joined the national leadership in 2018, then after a period as interim Director, stepped up as full-time Director in March 2023, supporting a funding bid that secured £2.4 million over five years. That figure has since grown to over £3 million, with funding extended through to 2029.
The network is structured around four work packages, spanning the UK and Ireland:
- Operational Development - Shared tools, job descriptions, and ways of working.
- Trial Development - Triaging studies and identifying suitable sites.
- Workforce Development - Training and support for staff.
- Involvement and Inclusion (PPIEP) - Ensuring patient and public involvement in trial design and delivery.
“That fourth area - diversity and inclusion - is increasingly important,” Paul noted. “Are we truly recruiting trial participants that reflect our communities? Honestly, the answer is no. We need to work to build up trust in all of our communities and reassure them that taking part in research is safe and for the benefit of all."
Despite being smaller than some of its counterparts in the network, NIHR Lancashire CRF is making a name for itself.
“We’ve made a niche for ourselves here,” Paul said. “The CRF here performs really well, and I like representing it nationally. It’s a point of pride.”
The future of clinical research is shifting, from majority hospital-based trials to a better mix community and home-based studies. Lancashire is already exploring new partnerships, including, locally with the Fatima Centre and ISSA units under Dr Zak Patel, aiming to establish a regional hub for early-phase research.
“Being involved nationally helps us learn things ahead of time, and that gives our Trust a bit of an edge,” Paul said.
With continued growth, new funding, and a strong leadership team, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is well-positioned to remain at the forefront of clinical research, locally and nationally.
