This board supports discovery of biological mechanisms or technologies relevant to human health and disease, including the causes of cancer and haematology.
The Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board (MCMB) is responsible for MRC’s investments that seeks to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning complex biological function in human health and disease. It also supports the early translation of knowledge towards new diagnosis and treatment of cancer and haematological disorders as well as changes to policy and practice in this area.
The board has particular interest in understanding dynamic biological systems across space and time, the causal link between external exposures and human disease, and research maximising opportunities at the physical science interface.
Our science areas
MCMB supports investigator-led grants, strategic investments and partnerships relevant to human health and disease in the following science areas:
- cell biology: understanding the fundamental properties, structure and function of the cell and how it responds to and influences its local environment
- 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
- 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 health and disease
- developmental and stem cell biology (excluding neurobiology): understanding the mechanisms of development, differentiation, growth and regeneration at the molecular, genetic and cellular levels
- regenerative medicine: mechanisms underpinning regenerative medicine. Research that focuses on particular organs or tissues, other than haematology and cancer, should be submitted to the relevant research board
- molecular haematology: investigating mechanisms underpinning blood diseases at the molecular, genetic, cellular and systems levels, including causes and prognosis
- the development and application of chemical, biological and physical tools to study and manipulate biological systems relevant to health and disease (for example, nanotechnology, engineering biology, chemical biology and gene or cell therapy). The development or improvement of generalisable health and biomedical research methods is specifically supported via the MRC-NIHR Better Methods, Better Research Programme
- medical bioinformatics (including biostatistics, computational biology and systems biology): development and application of analytical approaches to understand biological mechanisms in human health and disease
- cancer: basic 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
- 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
We encourage opportunities for collaborative research partnerships (for example, biomedical scientists, physicists or engineers, chemists and bioinformaticians) and those that apply interdisciplinary approaches (such as chemical biology, computational or systems biology, imaging technologies, innovative model systems, for example, organoids) to support our objectives.
MCMB is committed to supporting the development of new technologies and their application to biomedical science. This board encourages interdisciplinary research into innovative technological capabilities that will drive world-leading discovery research in human health and disease.
Together with the rest of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) we seek to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion in all we do, to ensure that we:
- embrace a diversity of thought, people, geographical locations, and ideas in our research funding
- encourage applications from underrepresented groups
Find out more about EDI at UKRI.
MCMB priority areas
MCMB has identified key challenges that can only be met with a more integrated approach across our portfolio. These areas are used by MCMB to prioritise investments during funding discussions, together with the MRC-wide priority areas. We encourage applications that focus on the following areas.
Understanding dynamic biological systems
Research that applies state-of-the-art technologies, quantitative analytical tools and systems approaches to understand complex and dynamic biology at different scales in health and disease. For example, genotype-to-phenotype, single cells, tissue and organism (including human and model systems).
This should include a combination of the following:
- improved approaches to image across scales (bi-directional studies from molecular or structure-function, macromolecular, cellular, and physiology or in vivo)
- improved experimental systems (cell, tissue and animal models), including tissue models that go beyond current approaches and introduce stroma, connective tissue and vasculature
- using bioinformatics, mathematics, machine learning, and computational modelling to analyse biological systems, and understand biological complexity and pathological readouts
- applying these approaches and this knowledge to develop gene or cell therapies and cell or tissue engineering systems biology for discovering drug targets or to validate, develop and understand drug action, toxicology and resistance mechanisms
Exposures, biological mechanisms and disease
Understanding the causal links between current and emerging environmental exposure threats (for example, air pollution, chemicals, nanoparticles and mixtures) and human disease is a priority for MRC.
A deep mechanistic understanding of biological targets and pathways (such as molecular initiating events, cellular stress responses and adverse outcome pathways) is required to build on the evidence of identified risks from epidemiological studies. This includes linking specific exposures to toxicity and disease. This relates to all types of exposures from environmental (for example, air, particulates and noise) to medicines.
Advances in our understanding of radiation biology in the context of cancer continue to be a priority for MRC under this board opportunity.
MCMB is keen to see applications that tackle these challenges, including:
- exploring the causal relationships and mechanistic pathways linking toxic exposures and adverse outcomes
- analysing multidimensional data to study insults and the molecular, cellular or physiological readouts to disease, and the influence of genotype
- developing computational models and experimental challenge systems to study exposures, biological effects and causal pathways
- establishing robust translational pathways to policy, clinical setting and industry
- biological effects of radiation exposure on normal and malignant tissues at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ levels
As part of MRC’s capacity-building activities in toxicology (including those related to environmental exposures and adverse drug reactions), MCMB supports the integrative toxicology training partnership. This is a core investment through the MRC Toxicology Unit to strengthen training, academic networking and capacity building across complementary disciplines of toxicology research.
MCMB will consider joint funding with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in areas of common interest. If you wish to consider submitting an application in this area email mcmb@mrc.ukri.org
MRC priority areas
In addition to the board opportunities previously mentioned, MCMB will prioritise submissions that meet the criteria of MRC-wide priority areas, which apply to all boards. These are:
- new investigator research grants: supporting researchers towards becoming independent investigators
- experimental medicine: understanding disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets using human participants
- advanced therapeutics: using non-pharmaceutical approaches, including cell and gene therapy, regenerative medicine, nucleic acids, antibodies and other innovative medicines
Global health is also a strategic priority of MRC, and MCMB is keen to receive applications in this area that fall within the board remit. Notable opportunities include research that explores the links between environmental exposure and human disease in low and middle-income countries.
Where concerted action is needed, MRC invests through 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.
These investments include strategic partnerships with host universities, and some involve joint support with other funders.