Cambridge Children’s Hospital will integrate pioneering research from the University of Cambridge with clinical excellence from two NHS Trusts - CUH and CPFT.
Cambridge Children’s Research Institute (CCRI) will be embedded at the heart of the new hospital, bringing together researchers from across the University of Cambridge. In state-of-the-art surroundings, it will harness advances in genomic medicine and life sciences research to treat illness earlier and more precisely, giving every child the best possible start in life.
Read about the key academics who are leading the planning and delivery of the new CCRI.
Professor Tamsin Ford, Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Centre Lead
- Tamsin is a Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, focusing on the mental health of children and young people, particularly the effectiveness of interventions and the efficiency of services, with a special interest in the education-mental health interface
- She is also Head of Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and the clinical lead for mental health research at Cambridge Children’s Hospital
- Professor Ford has received a CBE for services to psychiatry. Her work has significantly impacted policy and interventions related to children and young people's mental health, including research on the impact of school absence on mental health
Professor Sam Behjati, Cancer Centre Lead
- Professor Behjati is an academic paediatric oncologist, combining clinical work with research on childhood cancer
- He is also a Group Leader / Wellcome Senior Research Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Oncology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
- His research focuses on identifying the origins of childhood cancer, using quantitative genomic methods, studying a wide range of diseases. In his clinical work he spearheads the roll out of genome sequencing for children with cancer, which has the potential to transform clinical practice
- In 2025, Professor Behjati was announced as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), recognising his work on improving diagnosis and treatments of childhood cancers
Professor Gordon Smith, Perinatal Centre Lead
- Professor Smith is Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Cambridge and a Consultant in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge
- His current research is focused on placentally-related complications of human pregnancy, addressing mechanisms and prediction of disease, leading the POPS and POPS 2 cohorts
- Professor Smith has received over £20M in research funding as chief investigator and published more than 200 original peer reviewed research papers
Professor David Rowitch, Professor of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge
- Professor Rowitch is a paediatrician, developmental neuroscientist and Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Cambridge. He was formerly the head of department of paediatrics in Cambridge (2016-2025) and has been involved in Cambridge Children’s Hospital since the project began
- Currently, he is Deputy Director for Research at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, Los Angeles
- Professor Rowitch’s research has advanced our understanding of white matter diseases, including cerebral palsy, leukodystrophy and multiple sclerosis. His laboratory investigates genetic regulation of brain development and the basis of neurogenic conditions affecting children
- Professor Rowitch was appointed to the National Advisory Council for Child Health and Development (USA) from 2020-2024. He has been elected to the Association of American Physicians (2012), the Academy of Medical Sciences (2018), the Royal Society (2021) and the National Academy of Medicine (2024)