Shaped In Sheffield, Improving Lives Everywhere

A new technique to safely scan children's lungs, an ambitious project to restore hearing loss and improving the employment rights for unpaid carers are just three projects shaped in Sheffield that are improving lives everywhere.

The city of Sheffield's world-leading invention and ingenuity are being celebrated in a new campaign by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which aims to showcase the impact of public investment in research and innovation.

The projects, many of which have been pioneered by the University of Sheffield, have all received investment from UKRI, the UK's largest public body investing in research and innovation, with a budget of around £9bn a year to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth in the UK.

UKRI Chief Executive Professor Sir Ian Chapman said: "Sheffield is a hotbed of innovation, from its two great universities to its many spin-outs, startups and other businesses. That's why we've chosen to highlight the amazing work shaped by the city and its people.

"From technology to help children with serious diseases live long and healthy lives to improved rights for unpaid carers, these projects show the real power of public investment in research and innovation to improve lives everywhere."

Safe diagnoses for young lungs

Lung conditions in children can be difficult to spot early and even harder to monitor. Under-fives are too young for standard breathing tests. Chest X-rays and CT scans help at first, but repeating them means repeated exposure to radiation, which needs to be balanced with the low-level risks.

Using technology to solve the problem

This problem has been solved by Professor Jim Wild and his team at the University of Sheffield's Insigneo Institute.

Their new technology uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with xenon gas to create scans of the air in the lungs in unprecedented detail, with no radiation.

This paves the way for faster diagnosis and better treatment for conditions such as asthma and cystic fibrosis.

First access for children and young people

Children and young people being cared for at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust are the first in the UK to access this breakthrough technology.

This is part of cutting-edge research being undertaken at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

Clearer understanding of what's happening

Sarah, whose five-year-old daughter Zoe lives with bronchiectasis, said: "Having access to the MRI lung imaging facility before and after her treatment allowed us to gain a much clearer understanding of what was happening in her lungs and, crucially, how effective the treatment was at that time.

"The results guided us in a different direction, meaning Zoe was spared unnecessary invasive procedures that could have impacted her life.

"We now have a clearer picture of how Zoe's lungs are functioning, and this advanced imaging allows us to track changes with far greater precision, giving us the tools to support the best possible outcomes for her lung health as she grows into adulthood."

Professor Jim Wild, Executive Director of the University of Sheffield's Insigneo Institute, said: "As the scan doesn't use radiation, it can be repeated to track lung changes. This is key when it comes to checking whether medication is working. The MRI method means doctors no longer have to 'wait and see'.

"There have been big advances in treatments for cystic fibrosis, for example, but the drugs are expensive and work differently for every child. The scanner is guiding treatment and helping to find the right therapies faster."

Regenerating lost hearing

Over 430 million people globally experience hearing loss, which can seriously affect their lives at any age, impacting education, employment and everyday life.

Current solutions like hearing aids and cochlear implants address symptoms but not the root causes.

Rinri Therapeutics, a University of Sheffield spinout company based in the city, aims to change that.

Hope to millions worldwide

Its scientists are working on a treatment designed to target the underlying issues and restore natural hearing, offering hope to millions worldwide to reconnect with loved ones, friends, and their communities.

As we age, the number of sensory cells in our ears decreases, and these cells can also be damaged by exposure to loud noises or certain chemicals.

Right now, there is no way to fix or replace cells that are lost or harmed.

New treatment to address the problem

Researchers at Rinri Therapeutics, including Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Marcello Rivolta, who is also Professor of Sensory Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield, are working on a new treatment designed to address this problem.

They are harnessing the power of stem cells, which can become any type of cell in the human body.

By transforming stem cells into 'auditory progenitors', which are the early forms of sensory cells in the ear, they hope to replace damaged neurons with ones that work.

Re-establishing broken connections to the brain

The idea is similar to an organ transplant, says Dr Simon Chandler, Chief Executive Officer of Rinri Therapeutics: "The auditory progenitors we grow in a lab can be injected into the inner ear, where they will then mature into auditory neurons.

"These new neurons re-establish broken connections to the brain and have the potential to bring back natural hearing.

"It has the potential to enhance how patients perceive sound.

"Think of it like your television: a cochlear implant might offer a pixelated image, but restoring thousands of sensory cells could give you ultra-high definition."

Rights for carers

The Centre for Care, founded in 2021 with support from UKRI and NIHR, has fundamentally reshaped how we understand the contribution unpaid careers make to society.

As well as informing a range of policies, research from the Centre for Care, which is led in collaboration with researchers from the University of Sheffield, was vital in securing important employment rights for unpaid carers.

Under the Carers Leave Act, employees in England, Wales and Scotland are now entitled to five days unpaid leave per year.

The leave is to provide or arrange care and support for someone with a long-term care need.

Acknowledging and raising the profile of carers

The legislation has helped to raise the profile of the six million unpaid carers in the UK and acknowledge the enormous value they add to society.

There are over 49,000 unpaid carers in Sheffield alone, providing care valued at £1.6 million a year locally.

Giving carers a voice

One of them is Chris, who cares for his wife. He said: "Having access to the extra five days of unpaid leave has been invaluable.

"Caring isn't something you can always plan for neatly around work.

"Some days my wife needs extra support or to be taken to appointments.

"It's a relief that I can be there for her and act as her advocate.

"The alternative would be using sick leave or draining my annual leave, which would leave me with less time for my own wellbeing.

The reality is, almost everyone will either be a carer or need access to care at some point in their life. That's why the research being carried out at the Centre for Care is so important. It's giving carers a voice and helping to break down the stigma of caring in society."

Helping families with early literacy

For decades, research has suggested that families are powerful influences on children's literacy development.

In the late 1990s, Professor Peter Hannon, of the University of Sheffield, used his research findings to set out a new framework covering the main ways in which parents can help.

As part of the Raising Early Achievement in Literacy (REAL) project, he worked with his colleague Professor Dame Cathy Nutbrown and others to further develop the framework with groups of:

• Parents
• Teachers
• Early years settings

300 early years educators, 6,000 families

UKRI investment helped the project team share their work, spreading the approach to around 300 early years educators and 6,000 families.

The framework is still used today, including through the Making it REAL programme, run by the National Children's Bureau.

The bureau offers courses in family centres in Sheffield, and beyond, to teach practitioners how to use the framework and build confidence and knowledge within families to support early literacy development.

These projects underscore the University of Sheffield's ambition to transform ideas into impact - a true embodiment of independent thinking and shared ambition.