On 8 March 2019, GAMA Healthcare’s new Fellows Research Centre was opened by Sir Alan Langlands, vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds and the former chief executive of the NHS, in a ceremony attended by local MP Holly Lynch, the Mayor of Calderdale (Councillor Marcus Thompson) along with local dignitaries and GAMA staff.
Speeches were given by Sir Alan Langlands, who praised the facility’s impact on the local science cluster, and Holly Lynch who commended the development and welcomed GAMA to her constituency. GAMA co-founders Dr Guy Braverman and Dr Allen Hanouka also spoke, as did GAMA’s research director, Dr Adrian Fellows, after whom the lab is named and whose local Halifax connection inspired the location of the facility.
Following a formal ribbon-cutting, guests were given an opportunity to see the lab and its state of the art equipment close up in tours given by GAMA staff.The £4 million facility will be staffed with up to 20 qualified professionals, carrying out high-tech research in all aspects of microbiology, infection control and analytical chemistry - researching and developing products to help in the global fight against infection and AMR.
Sir Alan Langlands, vice chancellor of Leeds University and former chief executive of the NHS, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome the Fellows Research Centre to West Yorkshire, boosting scientific innovation which supports safe and effective healthcare. GAMA Healthcare and this Centre are now part of a network, providing access to our universities and their world leading research and a wide range of NHS facilities. Together, we are committed to protecting NHS staff and providing high standards of patient safety.”
Holly Lynch, MP for Halifax, added: “We are thrilled that GAMA have chosen Halifax as the location for their new development, and that they have recognised the potential of this area as welcoming to business and innovation. Having followed the development over the last few years, I am glad to see the work of all those involved coming together, and I would like to wish GAMA all the success and a warm welcome into the community.”
Dr Guy Braverman, MD and co-founder of GAMA Healthcare, said: “This is the latest development in the long story of GAMA’s progression from a new company with a handful of employees to the point we are at now, where we have an international reach and multiple facilities in the UK. All credit and thanks goes to those who have worked so hard to ensure that this ambitious project has become a reality.”
Dr Allen Hanouka, MD and co-founder of GAMA Healthcare, added: “It is great to see the hard work of so many people finally coming together with this new fantastic facility. It will ensure that our products continue to improve and to hold their place at the very forefront of infection prevention technology.”
