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Earlier this month, we were delighted to welcome the Director of the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust, Richard Benson, and its Chair of Trustees, Liz Charal.

Richard Benson and Liz Charal of the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust

The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust supports translational medical research as well as innovation and improvement in the wider healthcare sector. To mark its 50th anniversary in 2014, the Trust awarded a grant of £5 million to establish the Sir Jules Thorn Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi).

During their visit, Liz Charal and Richard Benson from the Trust met Professor Russell Foster and members of his research group. They were able to see SCNi space in full use, following the formal opening of the Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building last November. As part of the visit, we celebrated the recent installation of a new donor plaque and SCNi signage recognising the generous support of the Trust.

Thanks to the support of the Trust, the SCNi team are undertaking fundamental research into the mechanisms that generate and regulate circadian rhythms and sleep. They are translating these discoveries to develop different therapeutics to improve health and well-being across the health spectrum.