University news

Researchers from across the UK will come together to form a ground-breaking new research consortium focused on tackling inequalities in cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The NIHR is investing £50m into supporting a new Cardiovascular Disease Inequalities Challenge Consortium.

CVD contributes to a quarter of all deaths in the UK (26%), more than 170,000 deaths annually, but does not affect everyone equally. Higher risk groups include ethnic minority communities and people living in deprived communities.

The NIHR Cardiovascular Disease Inequalities Challenge Consortium, in partnership with the British Heart Foundation and co-led by Professor Frances Mair, will focus on tackling inequalities in these higher risk groups. The consortium will also seek to address inequalities in CVD outcomes between women and men.

Nine UK universities have been selected to lead the consortium, which is a national partnership bringing together leading experts from across the UK.

Professor Frances Mair, the Norie Miller Professor of General Practice, has been appointed the consortium Co-lead for Research, while several other University of Glasgow researchers will play important roles.

The University of Glasgow Consortium team include Professors Christian Delles, Paul Welsh, Sara Macdonald, Petra Meier, Qammer Abbasi, Dr Bhautesh Jani and Kezia Dugdale. The interdisciplinary team from Glasgow includes clinical experts, as well as expertise in cardiovascular disease risk, data analysis, health tech and public health and policy

Working across the UK, consortium researchers will generate evidence and innovative solutions that deliver improved detection and monitoring of undiagnosed or poorly managed hypertension and high levels of bad cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) to save thousands of lives and reduce inequalities.

The consortium will have a major focus on developing research capacity to help shift the dial on CVD. They will work together to develop an innovative and diverse programme of career development opportunities to inspire, develop and support the next generation of researchers. This equips them with the right skills and expertise to work across clinical, practice and research sectors.

The announcement is among NIHR’s responses to delivering the Government’s health and growth mission and NHS 10-year plan, with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers, and the shift from sickness to prevention to move towards a fairer Britain where everyone lives well for longer.

Nine leading universities have successfully applied to become part of the consortium and will collaborate with many other organisations around the UK including charities, social enterprise organisations, local councils, NHS Trusts and industry, to ensure system-wide change can be delivered. The nine universities are the University of Glasgow, University of Leeds, University of Surrey, Swansea University, University of Birmingham, King's College London, University of Ulster, Imperial College London and the University of Bristol.

The members each represent much wider multi-disciplinary collaborations including patient and community groups, industry, local authorities, and third sector partners. Members have been selected to span the UK, ensuring the Consortium’s activities will benefit populations including communities in rural areas and coastal communities, as well as in urban-deprived populations. They bring a wealth of experience in working with under-served populations including travelling communities, young people, and people with learning disabilities, and accessing communities who may not engage with standard NHS services.

The research projects will begin in autumn 2026. The consortium will build relationships with charities, the life sciences industry and patient groups with relevant expertise, focusing on hypertension and high levels of bad cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) to deliver a plan that will have solutions to tackle health inequalities in the UK.

The success of the consortium’s health outcomes objectives will be enabled by research activities such as leveraging wearables and other digital health technologies, and innovative public health messaging and education, including supporting sustained behaviour change.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said: “Cardiovascular disease causes 170,000 deaths annually in the UK, with a large long-term disease burden on the NHS. But it can be preventable with the right early intervention. This investment from the NIHR is one of the most ambitious attempts to tackle the root cause of inequalities of one the biggest killers.

“Now in our 20th year, the NIHR continues to drive life-changing research that matters. From earlier diagnosis and prevention in the community, to better treatments and improved quality of care, NIHR is funding and delivering research that tackles the health and care needs of the nation.”

Professor Frances Mair, Consortium Co-lead for Research, said: “I'm delighted to have been appointed Research Co-lead for this Consortium that brings together expertise from across the UK with a shared ambition to move beyond business as usual, embedding equity into cardiovascular prevention and care, and delivering practical solutions that improve cardiovascular health for the communities who need them most.”

Professor Danny McAuley, Scientific Director for NIHR Programmes, said: "Combining health research with social, economic and place-based solutions - including partnering with industry - this consortium includes some of the UK’s best experts, aiming to accelerate knowledge, strengthen research capacity and empower future research leaders.”

Professor Vijay Kunadian, Professor of Interventional Cardiology, Newcastle University, and the Consortium Co-lead for Research and Capacity Development, said: “The majority of heart conditions are preventable. However, people from socioeconomically deprived regions, women, and those from ethnic minorities experience worse outcomes or die unnecessarily due to preventable conditions. Now is the time to change these statistics. This consortium is a remarkable opportunity for the UK’s leading research organisations to help tackle these inequalities and make a significant difference in our community."

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at British Heart Foundation, said: "We are delighted to support this major research programme. Research-driven innovation has already delivered huge progress in reducing the burden of CVD, but it is clear the benefits of advances in prevention and treatment have not been felt evenly across the UK.

“In some parts of the UK people are twice as likely to suffer or die from heart disease or stroke as in other areas of the country. This new research will focus on understanding why these disparities persist as well as developing practical solutions to strengthen detection and monitoring of major cardiovascular risk factors to tackle these unacceptable inequalities in care and outcomes.”

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Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 3 March 2026