The Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases (BIRD) is an independent registered charity which raises funds to support research and education into many aspects of bone and joint diseases. The Institute has close links with both the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bath. It seeks to improve treatments for patients through promoting collaboration between clinicians and research scientists.

What are BIRD’s aims, and how may we achieve them?

Our main aim is to relieve sickness and to promote and advance medical knowledge with particular reference to rheumatic diseases, and to improve treatments for patients through promoting collaboration between clinicians and research scientists. We provide space, facilities and funds to undertake interdisicplinary research into bone and joint diseases and organise and promote educational courses for health professionals, patients and the general public. These activities are supported by local fund-raising campaigns and by the award of grants from other charities and major companies.

Past achievements include training more thatn 25 PhD students and 30 clinical and post-doctoral research fellows, and significant involvement in validating and optimising anti-TNF treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankolysing spondylitis. It is now an internationally-recognised centre for characterising novel autoantibodies in patients with connective tissue diseases, including myositis.