By Zosia Kmietowicz London

A campaign to breathe new life into academic medicine has called for a radical rethink on the way medical research is organised in order to capture global health issues that matter to patients and make a difference to their lives.

More than 90 researchers, educators, policy makers, clinicians, and funders from around the world gathered for the campaign's inaugural meeting this week at BMA House. Their aim was to define the future of academic medicine, which they say is threatened by lack of funding and facilities and poor career prospects. The campaign, which was launched last November by the BMJ, has so far attracted the involvement of more than 20 international journals and organisations.

MARK THOMAS

Professor David Weatherall said there ws potential
to develop basic science to help patients across the globe

Delegates at the meeting agreed that the time for an ivory tower attitude had passed and that modern academic medicine required transparency, leadership, and a community and patient focus to gain support from the public.

Many delegates expressed frustration with the direction of most research, which continues to address health issues that affect a minority of the world's population. "With the advent of SARS and bioterrorism, medicine has moved into a one world health," said Tim Evans, an assistant director general of the World Health Organization. "It is important to recognise the latent and growing demand for engagement in global health."

Professor David Weatherall, emeritus Regius professor at the University of Oxford, welcomed the initiative as an important opportunity with great potential to develop basic science for the benefit of patients across the globe.

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