Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal officially opened the £120 million state-of-the-art MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) building on Imperial College London’s Hammersmith campus. The eight-storey structure, clad in striking anodised aluminium, is set to become a hub for groundbreaking medical research, hosting 400 scientists specializing in genes and the environment, heart and metabolic disease, and sex-based differences in disease.

The institute, hosted by Imperial College London, stands out as one of only two laboratories in the UK wholly funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). The newly designed facility aims to bridge the gap between fundamental biological research and clinical applications, with a central staircase and atrium promoting collaboration among scientists from diverse disciplines.

LMS director Professor Wiebke Arlt, who assumed the role in January 2023, champions a novel approach to research by emphasizing challenge-led team science. This collaborative model, co-designed with stakeholders including scientists, clinicians, patients, and the public, marks a departure from traditional ‘hero science.’

Professor Arlt expressed delight in welcoming The Princess Royal, emphasizing the new building’s environment tailored for collaborative, interdisciplinary research. The design encourages interaction, fostering a team-science approach that transcends disciplinary boundaries.

Princess Royal, during the opening, toured key facilities such as the ‘fly lab,’ investigating aging and metabolism factors, and Professor Rueda’s lab, employing video game technology to study DNA behaviour. The tour also showcased the cardiac imaging facility with an artificial intelligence tool detecting hidden signs of ageing in the heart.

The Executive Chair of MRC, Patrick Chinnery, expressed gratitude to The Princess Royal, highlighting her continued support for science and women in STEM. The event holds special significance as The Princess Royal inaugurated the lab’s first building in 1995. Chinnery emphasized the importance of long-term investment in science infrastructure, echoing MRC’s commitment to research for human health.

As the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences enters this new era, the collaboration between MRC, Professor Wiebke Arlt, and the LMS team promises groundbreaking contributions to medical science and human health.