The research program of the University Division of Anaesthesia has aimed to understand regional cerebral pathophysiology to advance the care of critically ill patients after brain injury, from initial ictus, through recovery from coma and rehabilitation, to final outcome. These aims have been realized through a series of MRC Program and Cooperative Group Grants, based in the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, which have formed a focus for productive collaboration with other departments in the Clinical School, and the broader neuroscience community in Cambridge. Substantial academic leadership for this research program has come from the Division of Anaesthesia, but key collaborations have included NHS colleagues in the Neurocritical Care Unit, the University Departments of Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, and the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.