Landmark £4.8 Million Donation to support world-leading lymphoedema research across City St George’s and St George’s Hospital

This extraordinary donation will fund an ambitious, multi-year research and clinical programme at City St George’s, University of London and St George’s Hospital, one of the world’s leading centres for lymphoedema and lymphatic disease.

The Lymphoedema Research (LYMRES) team at St George’s Hospital and City St George’s University has discovered more genes causing lymphoedema than any other group worldwide and is internationally recognised for pioneering research into genetic forms of lymphoedema, as well as for the training of highly skilled researchers in the field of lymphovascular biology.

This donation will now allow the team to accelerate “bench to bedside” research - enabling the development of therapies and turning genetic discoveries into better care for patients. It will also strengthen clinical trials and sustain critical expertise within the service.

Lymphoedema is a chronic and often debilitating condition characterised by persistent swelling and increased risk of recurrent infections due to failure of the lymphatic system. Affecting an estimated 250 million people worldwide, it remains one of the most neglected areas of medicine, with few treatment options and limited awareness among healthcare professionals.

Professor Pia Ostergaard, Professor of Human Genetics and Head of the Genetics Research Section at City St George’s, University of London, said:

We are profoundly grateful for this extraordinary act of generosity. This gift allows us to innovate and work flexibly. It enables us to pursue patient-focused research and test pioneering ideas that can lead to new treatments and better care. It’s often the freedom provided by donations like this that sparks the discoveries capable of transforming lives.