Northern Alliance

Northern Alliance Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (NA-ATTC) is a consortium covering North-East England and Scotland focused on developing and rolling out an ATMP training programme across the UK for health professionals working in the field of ATMP clinical trials.

Through funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and in close collaboration with NIHR infrastructure and its counterparts in the devolved administrations, the ATTC network aims to build upon its existing work, expand its reach, and integrate its initiatives into standard practice.

NA-ATTC’s vision is to increase patient access to advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) regionally and nationally. The centre has a population reach of circa 15 million spanning the North of England and Scotland and is working across two healthcare systems. The centre aims to develop best practice for safe and effective delivery of advanced therapies to patients.

Education and Training are critical NHS workforce enablers for the delivery of ATMP clinical trials to meet the needs of patients, trial sponsors and NHS organisations across the UK. NA-ATTC’s focus will be on upskilling the NHS workforce for  these trials. This will be achieved by:

  • Establishing a specialist training and education network
  • Development of a national training and education strategy
  • Development and roll out of a national training programme

Locations

  • The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service

  • NHS Grampian

  • NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

  • NHS Lothian

  • NHS Tayside

  • The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  • The University of Newcastle Upon Tyne

Our team

A person with short brown hair is smiling while standing outdoors in front of a tree. They are wearing a dark suit, blue checkered shirt, and a green tie. The NA-ATTC lanyard around their neck adds a touch of distinction against the backdrop of vibrant green leaves.

Professor Neil Watson

Co-Director – NA-ATTC

A man with a beard and short hair, wearing a white lab coat embossed with the NA-ATTC logo and a tie, is seated in a laboratory setting. Shelves filled with books and equipment are visible in the background.

Professor Marc Turner

Co-Director – NA-ATTC

A woman with shoulder-length blond hair and a NA-ATTC smile beams at the camera. She is wearing a white top and a black-and-white textured blazer, set against a plain light gray background.

Dr Finn Willingham

Operations Manager – NA-ATTC

A woman with long brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black top with white polka dots. The background is lush with greenery.

Helen Kelly

Programme Manager – NA-ATTC

A person with short brown hair is smiling while standing outdoors in front of a tree. They are wearing a dark suit, blue checkered shirt, and a green tie. The NA-ATTC lanyard around their neck adds a touch of distinction against the backdrop of vibrant green leaves.

Professor Neil Watson

Co-Director – NA-ATTC

Director of Innovation, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

A man with a beard and short hair, wearing a white lab coat embossed with the NA-ATTC logo and a tie, is seated in a laboratory setting. Shelves filled with books and equipment are visible in the background.

Professor Marc Turner

Co-Director – NA-ATTC

Professor of Cellular Therapy University of Edinburgh, Medical Director SNBTS, Non Exec Director Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult

Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service

A woman with shoulder-length blond hair and a NA-ATTC smile beams at the camera. She is wearing a white top and a black-and-white textured blazer, set against a plain light gray background.

Dr Finn Willingham

Operations Manager – NA-ATTC

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust

A woman with long brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black top with white polka dots. The background is lush with greenery.

Helen Kelly

Programme Manager – NA-ATTC

Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service

Contact us

Find out more about the work of our centres here:

  • iMATCH
  • London Advanced Therapies
  • Midlands-Wales