On 6 November 2025, 1 America Square in London became a hub
for innovation and networking opportunities as the BHF Translational Research
Day 2025 brought togetherentrepreneurial academics, industry leaders,
and venture capitalists, alongside an audience of over 100
BHF-funded researchers.
The morning sessions featured inspiring talks from academics
that have not only pioneered innovative cardiovascular technologies and
therapeutics at the bench, but have also overcome the notorious ‘valley of
death’ to produce real-world clinical impact. Talks from Professor Giovanna
Lombardi, Professor Federica Marelli-Berg, Professor Marianna Fontana,
Professor David Adlam and Professor Andrew Grace highlighted the resilience,
creativity, and collaborative efforts needed when translating research into
patient benefit.
The afternoon session included roundtable and panel
discussions with NovoNordisk, AstraZeneca and Eli Lily, bridging the gap
between academic innovation and industry. Patent attorneys guided researchers
through intellectual property considerations while venture capitalists provided
valuable advice on early-stage investment opportunities. The day concluded with
the BHF Keynote Lecture delivered by Professor Dame Molly Stevens, a serial
entrepreneur who shared her extensive experience in commercialising medical
devices.
Read the Translational Research Day 2025 agenda.
The successes of the day were highlighted in reflections by
Professor Andrew Grace, University of Cambridge: 'the Translational Research
Day 2025 provided powerful evidence of the Foundation’s commitment to ensuring advances in our understanding of fundamental biology impact on patient care. It
was a brilliant event, thank you for making it so special’.
Professor David Adlam, University of
Leicester, also commented: 'this was a fantastic event. An
opportunity to reach beyond the traditional metrics of research success to meet
and hear from researchers who have developed new skills working with industry
partners and investors to set up and work with businesses small and large. This
has allowed them to make their visionary research into something which makes a
practical and tangible difference to patients with cardiovascular diseases’.
Looking ahead
We believe that the educational exchange at Translational
Research Day 2025 is an invaluable source for BHF cardiovascular researchers
striving to succeed in translational research. We look forward to further
strengthening this network by inviting you to our next Translational Research
Day in 2027.
