MRC supports research that seeks to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning human disease and the translation of these insights towards health benefits and changes in policy and practice.
Our funding mechanisms, including applicant-led and strategic investment, support a portfolio of research in the following science areas:
- cell biology of disease: understanding the fundamental properties, structure and function of the cell in a disease context and how it responds to and influences its local environment
- cancer: cancer biology, translational research and epidemiology, including exploring the mechanisms of existing and new therapeutics (small molecules, radiation and biologics) and the adverse health effects of radiation exposure
- molecular haematology: investigating mechanisms underpinning blood diseases at the molecular, genetic, cellular and systems levels, including causes and prognosis
- developmental and stem cell biology: understanding the mechanisms underpinning human disorders of development, differentiation, growth and regeneration at the molecular, genetic and cellular levels
- regenerative medicine: mechanisms underpinning regenerative medicine
- toxicology and adverse health effects of environmental exposures: exploring the causal pathways and mechanisms through which toxic insults (for example, environmental agents, xenobiotics, adverse drug reactions, radiation) cause adverse outcomes and ill health
- pharmacology: understanding the mechanisms of drug action at molecular, cellular and systems levels to improve efficacy and targeting (including through stratification) and minimise adverse or off-target effects
- underpinning research into advanced therapeutics, such as cell and gene therapy
We also support research into methods and tools to understand disease mechanisms, including:
- structural biology and biophysics: understanding the atomic organisation of molecules and macromolecular complexes and the dynamic, functional relationships between these components in cells and biological systems
- synthetic and engineering biology
- genetics, genomics and epigenetics: including molecular genetics (mechanistic understanding of gene regulatory networks, DNA function, repair and damage, epigenetic systems and more) and functional genomics and genome variant impacts on human disease
- medical bioinformatics (including biostatistics, computational biology and systems biology)
- nanotechnology
Find out more about how MRC supports genomics research.
The development or improvement of generalisable health and biomedical research methods is specifically supported through the MRC-NIHR Better Methods, Better Research Programme
We support a diverse portfolio of research of UK and global health relevance, including the needs of people in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), which should include equitable collaborations with researchers based in those countries.
Strategic activities and partnerships
Where concerted action is needed, MRC invests through major investments, including institutes, units and MRC Centres of Research Excellence. These incorporate strong leadership, mission-focused research, training or capacity-building, and the application of innovative technology and methodology to tackle major research challenges. Many of these involve strategic partnerships, including co-funding.
We also work with other research councils, biomedical research charities, government departments, international funders and industrial partners to fund strategic initiatives, including:
- UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative
- UK in vitro human disease models network
- pre-clinical translational models hub
- Human Developmental Biology Resource
- Instruct-ERIC
- EuroBioImaging-ERIC
- MRC Biomedical NMR Centre
- International Agency for Research on Cancer
- Horizon Europe EU Cancer Mission
- UK Collaborative for Cancer Clinical Research
- MRC Multimodal Research Collaborations
- Net Zero and Health Research Hubs