GUYS AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATIONTRUST

Their core work

Guy's and St Thomas' is one of London's largest NHS hospital trusts, providing acute and specialist clinical care across multiple disciplines. In the H2020 context, they contribute clinical expertise, patient cohorts, and real-world healthcare data to European research consortia. Their research involvement spans rare diseases (sickle cell, skeletal dysplasia), neurodevelopmental conditions (autism, intellectual disability), hearing impairment management, and medical physics (dosimetry, ultrasound). They serve as a clinical trial site and translational research partner, bridging laboratory science and patient outcomes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016–2017), GSTFT focused on medical physics (pediatric dosimetry), digital health for hearing impairment, and orphan drug repurposing for skeletal dysplasia — a spread of clinical specialisms without a single dominant theme. From 2018–2019, a clearer pattern emerged around neurodevelopmental and genetic blood disorders, with projects on autism biomarkers and sickle cell disease, plus an interdisciplinary foray into ultrasound physics. The shift suggests a growing concentration on rare and neglected diseases with strong translational and global health dimensions.

GSTFT is moving toward rare disease clinical research with a global health dimension, making them a strong partner for consortia targeting neglected conditions in both European and African populations.

How they like to work

GSTFT operates exclusively as a participant or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. They join large, diverse consortia (121 unique partners across 28 countries), suggesting they contribute specialist clinical capabilities rather than leading project design. This pattern is typical of major NHS trusts: they bring patient access, clinical trial infrastructure, and domain expertise, while leaving project management to research-focused institutions.

With 121 unique consortium partners across 28 countries, GSTFT has a remarkably broad network for an organization with only 6 projects — reflecting participation in large multinational consortia. Their reach spans Europe and extends into Africa through the ARISE sickle cell project.

What sets them apart

As a major London NHS trust, GSTFT offers something most research institutions cannot: direct access to diverse patient populations in one of Europe's most multicultural cities, combined with clinical trial infrastructure embedded in routine care. Their involvement in both rare European diseases (skeletal dysplasia) and global health conditions (sickle cell disease) reflects this diverse patient base. For consortium builders, they are a credible clinical partner who can recruit patients and deliver real-world evidence without the overhead of a full university bureaucracy.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ARISE
  Their largest H2020 investment (EUR 717,600), building sickle cell research capacity across Africa and Europe — a rare global health focus for a UK NHS trust.
• AIMS-2-TRIALS
  One of Europe's largest autism research platforms, running until 2026, positioning GSTFT in a long-term neurodevelopmental research network despite minimal direct funding (EUR 3,000).
• MCDS-Therapy
  A drug repurposing trial for an ultra-rare skeletal condition (metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid), combining clinical trials with health economics — a model for orphan drug development.