Discover the region’s fight against COVID-19 in our interactive map

We have launched an interactive map that showcases the world-leading innovations taking place in London and the south east’s life sciences sector to tackle COVID-19.

The Unleashing Innovation Interactive Map, launched by life sciences cluster is a complementary resource to our Unleashing Innovation report, and showcases the ground-breaking projects taking place across the city in response to the pandemic.

At a time when the life sciences ecosystem has been forced to refocus its efforts and resources to tackle the pandemic, Imperial College London, UCL, Queen Mary University of London and King’s College London are among those highlighted as driving innovation through unprecedented cross-sector collaboration, including with the NHS and industry.

Building on the report, which shares innovations in: vaccines; diagnostics innovation; data and disease modelling; genomics; and treatments, the map extends its focus to driving global excellence in areas such as epidemiological research; mental health; health inequalities; and supporting national and international efforts.

Visitors to the map will be able to learn about:

• A study led by Public Health England, supported by the UCL Genomics Hub, to provide national COVID-19 sequencing to inform public health planning.
• A study by King’s College London to understand the effects of COVID-19 on factors such as mental health, wellbeing and life/work.
• The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s (LSHTM) efforts to help apply lessons learnt from the Ebola epidemics in West and Central Africa to the current COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to ensure preparedness in Africa for the pandemic.

Neelam Patel, CEO at MedCity, said: “At MedCity we are extremely proud, and privileged, to play a role in forging collaborations and developing networks that enable London and the Greater South East’s life sciences ecosystem to unleash innovation through research.

“Today we are delighted to launch our public-facing Unleashing Innovation Interactive Map, which demonstrates how London’s rapid response to COVID-19 has been instrumental in saving lives up and down the country and to driving global excellence in life sciences. We have gathered examples of ground-breaking projects across the sector and we look forward to sharing more stories with people to aid understanding of how the life sciences sector has played a vital role during the pandemic.”

Professor David Lomas, AHSC Director at UCL Partners, said: “London’s AHSCs have collaborated in an unprecedented way with the private sector, charity sector, NHS, other universities, and even across borders in the fight against COVID-19.

Thanks to investment in excellence, the incredible achievements of the AHSCs in response to the pandemic has seen the UK take a leading position in the life sciences. This has included their work treating patients, introducing and scaling up delivery and development of novel diagnostic tests and services, recruiting patients to clinical trials, conducting critical research to help us better understand COVID-19, and contributing vital data and samples for national projects as well as supporting international efforts. 

“I am hugely proud of the significant contribution that the AHSCs have made to the national effort to save lives and am delighted that their achievements are showcased across MedCity’s ‘Unleashing Innovation’ report and complementary ‘Unleashing Innovation Interactive Map’ that have been launched today.”

London’s life sciences sector is recognised as being at the centre of the global response to COVID-19, with 37 ongoing high priority Public Health England studies, 2 vaccine trials in progress, and over 14 antibody and antigen tests being developed or in development.

Find out more about the innovations taking place across London’s life sciences ecosystem to tackle COVID-19 by visiting MedCity’s Unleashing Innovation Interactive Map and Unleashing Innovation report here.