In 2005 the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering identified systems biology as an area of scientific and national priority and set up a joint working group to investigate. The report of this working group was released in 2007.
In 2004, the Academy launched a study to examine the current and future situation regarding the use of patient data in medical research. Medical research using patient data has had a long and successful history of providing vital knowledge on the causes of disease and the effectiveness of treatments. The Academy remains a consistent voice in debates on the use of patient records in research.
A 2001 working group report looking at how academic bacteriology in the UK could develop as a research discipline and how to encourage departments of medical microbiology to become involved in addressing the many exciting challenges.
A 2005 review of non-clinical research fellowships in the biomedical sciences, focusing on the operation, successes and weaknesses of different UK fellowships schemes over the previous 20 years.