(NU/1824) The Provision of Clinical Research Support & Central Laboratory Services for the ADVANCE Study

The Newcastle University Translational and Clinical Research Institute is one of three research institutes established in 2019 following a restructure within the Faculty of Medical Sciences. Its members map across the biomedical research landscape. A number of major research projects are led from within the Institute including the "NASH Disease Translational Accelerator" (NASH-DTA) project. This project funded brings together clinicians and scientists from prominent academic centres across Europe and industrial partners to conduct research into advanced liver disease/cirrhosis caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Their common goals are developing, validating and qualifying better biomarkers for NAFLD. Strongly associated with the epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes that are testing healthcare systems worldwide, NAFLD is an increasingly common cause of advanced liver disease that is characterized by substantial inter-patient variability in severity and rate of progression. Biomarkers under investigation in the project include genes that contribute to NAFLD progression. The purpose of this tender process is to engage a supplier to provide clinical research support, central laboratory services and to oversee biological sample transfers and provide centralised laboratory processing of biological samples collected during the course of the study.