The Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research explained

The Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research is a registered UK charity^[1] which funds the Kennedy Institute as well as a range of individual UK university-based researchers. Its longer-term objective is to "achieve a meaningful impact in the development of cures and preventative treatment for musculoskeletal and related inflammatory diseases".^[2]

Formation of Trust

In 1965, Mathilda Kennedy, daughter of Michael Marks and her husband Terence Kennedy, founded the Mathilda and Terence Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology.^[3]

The Kennedys became interested in rheumatism after their general practitioner Dr Leslie Lankester was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.^[4]

The Kennedy Trust was registered as a charity in 1970.^[5]

Kennedy Institute

Formation of Institute

Mathilda and Terence Kennedy donated £500,000 to found the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in Hammersmith, the first institute in the world to be totally dedicated to the causes and cures of rheumatic diseases.^[6]

Governance

The first director of the Kennedy Institute was Professor Dugald Gardner.^[7] Succeeding directors included Dr Leonard Glynn,^[8] Professor Helen Muir,^[9] Professor Ravinder Maini,^[10] Professor Marc Feldmann^[11] and Professor Fiona Powrie.^[12]

Development of the Institute

In 2000, the institute's staff and research activities were incorporated into Imperial College as a division of its newly formed Faculty of Medicine.^[13]

In 2011, the Kennedy Institute became part of the University of Oxford as an independent constituent Institute within the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Science (NDORMS).^[14] In 2013 the Institute moved into a new building co-funded by the Kennedy Trust and the University of Oxford.^[15]

Achievements

In the mid-1980s, discoveries made by teams led by Ravinder Maini and Marc Feldmann, led the way to anti-TNF therapy being used as a successful treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Archives

The archives of the Kennedy Trust are held at Wellcome Collection (ref no: SA/KET).

Notes and References

1. Web site: THE KENNEDY TRUST FOR RHEUMATOLOGY RESEARCH - Charity 260059 . 2024-06-15 . register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk . en-GB.
2. Web site: The Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research - Home .
3. Mitchell . Fiona . 2016 . Profile: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Oxford, UK . The Lancet . 388 . 10055 . 1972 . 10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31900-6 . 0140-6736.
4. Web site: Lord . Annie . 2023-02-02 . Clinical Cataloguing: Processing the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research Archive . 2024-06-15 . Medium . en.
5. Web site: THE KENNEDY TRUST FOR RHEUMATOLOGY RESEARCH - Charity 260059 . 2024-06-15 . register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk . en-GB.
6. Web site: Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research . 2024-06-15 . www.kennedy.ox.ac.uk . en.
7. News: 2019-04-29 . Obituary: Dugald Gardner, respected pathologist and conservator of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh . The Scotsman.
8. Denman . A. M. . 2006 . Leonard Glynn 1910–2005 . Rheumatology . 45 . 7 . 927–928. 10.1093/rheumatology/kel085 .
9. Muir, (Isabella) Helen Mary (1920–2005), biochemist . 2024-06-15 . 2004 . en . 10.1093/ref:odnb/96567.
10. Web site: Prof. Sir Ravinder Maini . 2024-06-15 . HSTalks . en.
11. Web site: 2021-07-09 . Professor Sir Marc Feldmann FRS - Somerville College Oxford . 2024-06-15 . www.some.ox.ac.uk . en-GB.
12. Web site: Fiona Powrie . 2024-06-15 . University of Birmingham . en-GB.
13. Web site: A timeline of College developments About Imperial College London . 2024-06-15 . www.imperial.ac.uk.
14. Web site: The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford . 2024-06-15 . Make Architects.
15. Web site: Princess Royal to open Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford University of Oxford . 2024-06-15 . www.ox.ac.uk.