Welcome to the sixth edition of the
This is the North podcast newsletter.
The Letter That Changes Everything: Why Drug Discovery Isn't Just About Science
by Alison Dunn, with insights from Professor Mike Waring and Professor Akane Kawamura.
Recently, I sat down with Professors Mike Waring and Akane Kawamura from Newcastle University for a conversation that really opened my eyes to where innovation actually happens - and who benefits when it does.
Image left: Biological research taking place at Newcastle University. Photograph courtesy of Newcastle University’s website.
A Story That Puts Everything in Perspective
"I have a letter on my office wall that I look at every day," Professor Mike Waring told me. "It's from a man in France who wrote to tell me his story."
The man had been diagnosed with lung cancer and told there was no treatment. His concern wasn't for himself - it was for his disabled wife. He couldn't go through traditional chemotherapy because he'd be too ill to care for her. By chance, someone realised he was eligible to receive a drug that Mike had helped discover. Now he takes a once-daily pill that keeps him alive and healthy enough to look after the person he loves most.
That story stuck with me long after our conversation ended. It's exactly why the debate about where innovation happens isn't academic - it's about real people's lives and the impacts it has.
The Success Story We Don't Hear About
What really struck me about talking with Mike and Akane wasn't just their scientific credentials - it was discovering that Newcastle University has successfully brought two cancer medicines to market. Two. That's remarkable in a field where most researchers work entire careers without seeing a single drug reach patients.
They've achieved this with relatively modest funding, mostly from Cancer Research UK. It proves that Northern institutions can absolutely compete globally when given the chance.
But then Akane said something that made my heart sink: "Job opportunities are limited in the North East in terms of people who have degrees and postgraduate degrees. They feel that they have to go down south in order to continue their careers."
How many times have we heard that reality? Talent is everywhere, as those of us who live here can attest, but sadly, in many cases, opportunities are not. Here we have world-class science saving lives globally, and we're still losing our brightest minds because we haven't invested in keeping them here.
What Needs to Happen
Mike and Akane have shown what's possible when excellence meets opportunity. Their institute, backed by a genuine regional partnership spanning universities from Durham to Leeds, could transform not just the North, but Britain's competitive advantage in life sciences.
This is exactly what Praful Nargund meant when he talked about the disconnect between economic growth and people's lived experiences - between "skills and bills." This kind of innovative, regionally led investment addresses both challenges simultaneously: creating high-skilled opportunities that actually pay enough to tackle the cost-of-living crisis whilst building meaningful careers that change lives and futures.
But it will only happen if we stop treating regional investment as political charity and start recognising it as national necessity. When professors can save lives from Newcastle labs, when we have the talent, vision and foundations to execute, why are we still concentrating opportunity elsewhere?
That question will determine whether the North becomes a global centre for life-saving innovation - or continues watching its brightest minds head south.
Until next time,
Alison Dunn
Next step:
Ready to support Northern science excellence? Contact your MP and Mayor about the North East Institute for Molecular Medicine. Share this with people who need to understand what we're missing.
Upcoming events:
After the success of the Society Matters Foundation launch at Newcastle United, we're holding our next event delving deeper into the topic of skills and what the future holds. If you'd like to register your interest, please do so in advance by completing our online form.
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I'd love to hear your thoughts on what "good growth" would mean for your community – what would make economic progress feel real in your daily life?
This is The North Podcast is your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by Society Matters Community Interest Company and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society. Subscribe to never miss an episode and join our mission to build a stronger, more equitable society for all. This podcast is produced by Purpose Made, empowering change through intentional leadership and shared knowledge.
Why This Matters Beyond the Lab
The Barriers That Need Calling Out
The Human Cost of Lost Opportunities
Our conversation revealed uncomfortable truths about the obstacles they face. Mike was frank about how anti-immigration rhetoric doesn't just harm international students - it undermines our ability to compete for the global talent that drives innovation.
"Our recruitment used to come from Europe. This is just a fact," he said. "And that's something that really needs to be addressed."
When funding bodies still assume that serious science happens in Cambridge, London, and Oxford - the so-called Golden Triangle - and not in places like Newcastle, we're fighting prejudice as much as competing for resources.
The fact is, 46% of public investment in research goes to the Golden Triangle. To see real innovation, we must fund research on the basis of excellence, not postcode, ensuring we compete with the very best in the world. As Mike puts it: "The UK needs to continuously innovate to stay competitive. We can't compete on scale. We have to compete on innovation and therefore having institutes like the one we're proposing are critical to the UK's continued growth and success."
The economic case is compelling. The pharmaceutical sector exports £25 billion annually - Britain's third-largest trade contributor. The broader life sciences sector contributes £56 billion to GDP and supports nearly 500,000 jobs nationwide.
But there's a skills gap threatening this potential: an estimated need for 10,000 additional trained scientists. The North East could fill that gap - if we match regional capability with national investment.
As Mike explained: "If you get a successful drug, you can recall all of your costs." Government investment unlocks private capital at remarkable ratios - £1 public funding can generate £7-9 in private investment.
What keeps coming back to me is that letter on Mike's wall, but also the students and people I regularly meet who feel they have no choice but to leave. Behind every policy discussion about regional investment, every debate about "levelling up," every discussion about devolution and local growth, are real people whose lives hang in the balance.
The man in France who can care for his wife. The postgraduate student choosing between staying home and advancing their career. The families who could benefit from high-skilled, well-paid jobs in their own communities.
When Akane talked about being "passionate about developing new medicines" and how "small molecules can actually have a huge impact on our health," I heard something that defines the North: people who do vital work not for recognition, but because it matters.
A Vision That Actually Makes Sense
Mike and Akane aren't just lamenting the situation - they've got a proper plan. Their vision for a North East Institute for Molecular Medicine, co-authored with Purpose Made, would create a regional hub employing potentially 1,000 high-skilled researchers, rivalling London's Francis Crick Institute.
The infrastructure already exists: world-class universities across the region, two globally ranked hospitals serving patients from Lancaster to North Yorkshire, strong pharmaceutical manufacturing heritage. The vision extends beyond Newcastle, with partnerships spanning Northumbria, Durham, Sunderland, York, and Leeds universities - drawing on complementary strengths in translational research across the North.
As Mike put it: "We thought that if we could apply some of those technologies and bring new ones in, we could have a centre that could do some of that work in a holistic way."
What we lack isn't capability - it's investment that matches our potential.
A deep dive into the archive…
I’ve taken a look back at our very first episode, entitled The North’s Industrial Heritage, with guests Liz Mayes, Jo Curry and Rob Charlton. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come — not just in terms of the quality of our production, but also as a region.
Liz, Jo and Rob reflect in their conversation on the innovation and creativity of the North, and that’s something still ever-present in our DNA. We see it today in the huge amount of investment going into Sunderland to support the creative sector, and in the recent announcements in the government’s spending review that will see the long-awaited extension of our Metro system.
The North really is emerging from its industrial past to reveal a new, brightly coloured future.
This week I’m reading…
The Six Minute Entrepreneur by Sara Davies - 52 short lessons for long-term business success. I’ve heard Sara speak several times, and I’m always struck by how authentically she connects with the people around her, and this book is no different. As you read, you can hear her voice lifting off the page. And she’s true to her word — these are short lessons, the book is easy to read, and yet, somehow - as only Sara can do - it makes you think really hard!
This week I’m listening to…
The If I Had One WISH (Women in Social Housing) podcast, hosted by Crystal Hicks and Helen Scott, who are joined by the Chief Operating Officer of Peabody and the President of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Elly Hoult.
In this series, Crystal and Helen talk to changemakers and female leaders in the housing sector - and what a guest Elly turned out to be!
Elly started out life as a social housing tenant herself, and this had a profound impact on her, forming her views and sense of purpose. As a result, Elly recognises that housing touches every part of a person’s life. She talks candidly about the role of housing in promoting dignity, health and life chances, and the privilege she feels in supporting people to have great lives.
Now of course, this hasn’t been an entirely easy journey. Elly is really honest about her leadership path, and the challenges (and the people) who have tried - and I use the word “tried” on purpose - to hold her back. Clearly, these people, and sometimes systems, underestimated Elly, and it was great to hear her story.
For any aspiring female leader - or any leader, male or female, in housing - this is a great listen.
This week I’ve been…
The Feeding Families Inspirational Ladies Lunch at Wynyard Hall - and wow, what a great place to be amongst so many fabulous women, including Feeding Families founder and CEO, Juliet Sanders.
Juliet and I have worked together for a few years now, and she is one of those people who is always full of surprises — hard-working, tenacious, and full of compassion for everyone she comes across.
Juliet, we really must get you onto This is the North... Call me!