A multi-million pound initiative dedicated to the fight against cancer was launched at Queen's University, Belfast, yesterday.
The £22 million Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB) will focus on prevention, diagnosis and treatment through discovering the causes of the disease.
Director Mr Patrick Johnston said that respect for the work carried out in Belfast was growing throughout the world.
"This new centre, one of the first to bring together many disciplines, will underpin the reputation of Queen's for internationally recognised world-class cancer research," he said.
Work on the state-of-the art facility will begin at the university's Lisburn Road complex in the spring of 2005 and is expected to be completed by March 2007.
It will house internationally renowned research staff and complement the new clinical cancer centre at the nearby Belfast City Hospital. The centres will make the city one of Europe's leaders in the battle against the disease.
Queen's University Vice-Chancellor Prof Peter Gregson said that the "creation of a world-class Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, recognised as a flagship by the international scientific community, will ensure that Queen's and Northern Ireland contributes in a strategically important way to future UK and international research initiatives in cancer". To celebrate the launch, the centre is hosting an international symposium, attended by the world's leading cancer experts.