Welcome to the Tayside Academic Health Sciences Centre (TAHSC)

The Tayside Academic Health Sciences Centre (TAHSC) was formally established on 1st January 2010. The Centre combines the research strengths of the University of Dundee with NHS Tayside and is a node of the national Scottish Academic Health Sciences Collaboration. Leadership of TAHSC will be provided by the Dean of Medicine, Professor John Connell. Professor Jill Belch has been appointed as Joint Research & Development Director, with operational responsibility for TAHSC. She will work closely with Dr Anne Langston, who has been appointed Senior Research & Development Manager.

TAHSC will bring together, within a single organisational framework, the existing functions of the Clinical Research Centre, the Tayside Clinical Trials Unit, the Tissue Bank, and the joint functions of the NHS Research & Development office and the University's Research & Innovation Services (in relation to clinical research). This strategic alignment will bring greater efficiency to research management and governance across the University and NHS.

A key aim of TAHSC is to make research easier for all health professionals and to promote a stronger culture of research within the NHS. The TAHSC offices will be housed within refurbished accommodation on level 3 of the old Nursing School premises on the Ninewells site, co-located with the East of Scotland Ethics Service.

Although the venture is initially a joint enterprise between the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside, it is anticipated that NHS Fife and the University of St Andrews will, at an early stage, become partners within the Academic Health Sciences Centre.

The development of TAHSC coincides with the excellent news that one of its components, the Tayside Clinical Trials Unit, has been awarded provisional registration with the UK Clinical Research Collaboration - one of only 12 successful units from a field of around three dozen applicants. This result is especially gratifying as applications to UKCRC are only considered every 2-3 years: it helps to ensure that TAHSC will be well positioned from the outset to achieve its goals.

Please click here for Professor Belch recent presentation about TAHSC.