Princess Royal Unveils £120m Cutting-Edge Medical Science Hub at Imperial
The Princess Royal has officially opened the brand-new £120 million MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) at Imperial College London’s Hammersmith campus. This gleaming eight-storey building, draped in eye-catching anodised aluminium, will host 400 top scientists delving into genes, heart and metabolic diseases, and sex-based health differences.
UK’s Premier Medical Research Centre Gets a Modern Makeover
Imperial’s LMS is one of only two UK labs fully funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). The facility is designed to smash the divide between lab research and clinical breakthroughs. Its central staircase and open atrium foster collaboration, bringing scientists from all fields together to share ideas and spark innovation.
New Team-Science Approach Takes Centre Stage
Professor Wiebke Arlt, the LMS director since January 2023, is shaking up traditional research with a fresh, challenge-driven team science model. Co-designed with scientists, doctors, patients, and the public, it ditches ‘hero science’ for a collaborative, interdisciplinary push towards medical breakthroughs.
“This building was made to encourage interaction and foster a team-science approach that crosses all disciplinary lines,” said Professor Arlt, thrilled to welcome The Princess Royal.
High-Tech Tour Highlights Futuristic Research
The Princess Royal toured standout labs during the opening, including:
- The ‘fly lab’, studying ageing and metabolism
- Professor Rueda’s lab, which uses video game tech to explore DNA behaviour
- A cardiac imaging unit featuring AI tools that spot hidden signs of heart ageing
Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of the MRC, praised The Princess Royal’s long-standing backing of science – highlighting her 123 official royal engagements in science infrastructure.
As the LMS starts its next chapter, the collaboration between MRC, Professor Arlt, and the LMS team promises to push medical science and human health forward in spectacular style.
