Medical Breakthroughs: The Research Journey is a compelling new podcast from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), shining a light on the powerful, often emotional stories behind some of the UK’s most significant medical advances.
Launching on Wednesday 11 June 2025, the series explores how research transforms lives — told through the voices of the patients and researchers at the heart of it. Each episode offers an intimate glimpse into the human side of medical innovation. Listeners will meet people like Michael Wright, a 64-year-old from York whose life was saved through a pioneering kidney trial led by Professor Tze Min Wah, and Susan, 67, from Leeds, who was diagnosed with lung cancer after joining the Leeds Lung Health Check programme, an early detection initiative that helped her become cancer-free.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the UK’s largest teaching hospital trusts, widely recognised for its leading role in research and innovation. We are committed to advancing healthcare and improving patient outcomes through strong partnerships with academic institutions, industry leaders, and healthcare organisations.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, we delivered a wide-ranging research portfolio, with 22,275 participants recruited into 1,413 active research studies. Of these, 19,437 participants took part in studies on the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio.
With more than 25 dedicated research teams across our hospital sites, five NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facilities, and the forward-thinking Innovation Pop Up, we are proud to lead high-quality clinical research and to foster a culture of research engagement among our staff.
Medical Breakthroughs: The Research Journey will be available on all major podcast platforms from Wednesday 11 June 2025, with new episodes released weekly. You can also listen directly at www.leedsth.nhs.uk