Bukhman Philanthropies are delighted to announce a £1.5 million donation to UCLH Charity to support the ENRICH Study - (Encephalopathy of the Newborn: Remote Ischaemic Post Conditioning +/- Hypothermia).
This three-year funding commitment will enable ground-breaking research into innovative therapies aimed at improving outcomes for infants affected by hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a leading global cause of brain injury in newborns caused by lack of oxygen and blood flow during or shortly after birth. In the UK alone, over 1,000 babies are affected by HIE each year. The ENRICH study, led by Professor Nikki Robertson, Professor of Perinatal Neuroscience at UCL and Honorary Consultant Neonatologist at UCLH, will explore the potential of Remote Ischemic Post-Conditioning (RIPostC), a promising treatment that helps protect the brain without needing an infusion of a medicine to reduce brain damage in babies affected by HIE. RIPostC works by stimulating the body’s own natural defences to protect brain tissue after oxygen deprivation. Through this study, Professor Robertson and her team from the Neonatal Neuroprotection Research Group in the Institute for Women’s Health, UCL aim to evaluate whether combining PIPostC with existing treatments, such as cooling (therapeutic hypothermia), can provide extra brain protection and reduce long-term disabilities in affected babies. The UCL Translational Research Office works closely with Professor Robertson and is delighted to be involved with this exciting project.