University of Birmingham Joins Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network

The University of Birmingham has been confirmed, in a June 24, 2021 press release, as the third National Training Centre in the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN) initiative—an initiative that was launched in December 2020 and is coordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult.

Other training centers included in the initiative, which is sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), are RoslinCT, along with its academic partners, and the National Horizons Centre. The initiative has been designed for the development and delivery of specific practical skills to address the growing need in the United Kingdom for skills in vaccine and advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) manufacturing.

The University of Birmingham will provide training on advanced technology in collaboration with local companies and institutions that complement the ATSTN initiative. Courses included will be modules on ATMP manufacturing design and clinical adoption, in addition to modules on documentation and implementation of ATMPs. The training will be delivered as a combination of on-site, online learning, and virtual reality modules.

“The UK ATMP industry is expanding rapidly, and to support that tremendous growth the industry needs skilled people,” said Matthew Durdy, CEO, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, in the press release. “The UK is making one of the biggest commitments anywhere in the world to training in this sector, keeping it as the ‘go to’ place for the cell and gene therapy industry. As part of the ATSTN program, the University of Birmingham is well placed to develop and deliver high-impact training courses utilizing its world leading delivery technologies.”

“We are delighted to provide our leading expertise, playing such a pivotal role in delivering these much-needed skills for the UK’s advanced therapies sector,” added Phil Newsome, director of Research in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, in the press release. “This collaboration between industry and academia will create a truly world-class offering, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of the manufacture and delivery of vaccines and advanced therapies. Moreover, it will further strengthen and leverage the rapidly-growing health and life science sector in Birmingham and the Midlands.”

The first courses are set to launch in September 2021, covering the fundamental aspects of ATMPS and good manufacturing practice (GMP). Furthermore, the University of Birmingham will offer master’s degree level modules on GMP standards.

Source: Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult