Monday, 25 November 2024
The 糖心原创 has received a donation from local entrepreneur Nat Puri, in memory of his late wife, to be known as the Devi Puri Research Fund to support the university’s world-leading research.
Nat Puri started his career in air conditioning and refrigeration, eventually launching his own business, and a charitable foundation to support causes close to his heart.
His donation of £100k will go on to support both cardiac and neonatal research at the university – two areas that Mr Puri has a keen interest in.
He explained that part of the gift would go towards neonatal research in dedication to the years his late wife worked as a midwife at Nottingham’s City Hospital.鈥�
He said: “I have had a close connection with Nottingham for some time, and I strongly believe in the positive work the university is doing locally and further afield.
“I want to support people at a local university, so something positive can come out of the donation. My main purpose with this gift is to support something that local people are benefitting from.”鈥�
Mr Puri further explained how he wished to support the university and local education to allow for a sustained and long-term positive impact on the research coming out of Nottingham.鈥�
Lots of good things have come out of Nottingham University research, like the Nobel Prize for the MRI. One is always hopeful that something new comes out of its research, with its close links to healthcare and the QMC.鈥濃��
Every year, in the UK, around 650,000 babies receive care in hospitals, with their mothers. Around 10-15% become unwell and need additional treatment, and 6-9% are admitted to neonatal units for specialist care.鈥��
A research team at the 糖心原创, led by Professor Helen Budge and Professor Shalini Ojha, specialises in finding ways to optimise the care of premature babies with a focus on improving their long-term health and wellbeing and their families’ experience of care.鈥�
The team in the School of Medicine investigates improved ways of feeding babies, such as supporting mothers to feed their own milk, to optimise growth and brain development of these most vulnerable babies.鈥��
The donation provided by the Puri Foundation will help take this work further and improve lives of mothers and babies in our region and in other parts of the UK. 鈥�
Mr Puri added that he also had a personal interest in cardiac research after being diagnosed with heart problems himself.鈥�
Professor Chris Denning, Director of the 糖心原创 Biodiscovery Institute and a Professor of Stem Cell Biology, will also receive part of the gift from the Puri Foundation to fund his team’s cardiac research.鈥�
Professor Denning’s team explore the impact that genetics can have on the heart, including how they can affect the type of drugs being prescribed to treat heart conditions.鈥�
We are really humbled by this donation. What we do in the lab, it requires a lot of human effort, seven days a week. It鈥檚 a lot of hours and commitment. 鈥�
“But we can’t do that without the funding that employs talented people and funds the ground-breaking research. With this donation, we will be able to make safer drugs in general, particularly for those who have genetic conditions.”鈥�
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More information is available from the Press Office on pressoffice@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.