Medical researchers at Oxford University have received £1.5m for research into the prevention and treatment of strokes to help benefit patients in the city.

The money from the Dunhill Medical Trust will go towards the Oxford Stroke Programme, a project to bring together different strands of stroke research at the John Radcliffe Hospital at Headington.

The programme will be led by internationally-renowned researchers working in prevention, brain imaging and acute stroke care.

The experts leading the programme are Peter Rothwell, Professor of Clinical Neurology, Alastair Buchan, Professor of Clinical Geratology, and Peter Jezzard, Herbert Dunhill Professor of Neuroimaging.

Prof Rothwell said: "Despite being more common, stroke has in the past been a very poor relation of coronary heart disease in terms of research funding.

"We aim to develop risk scores to allow GPs to reliably identify individuals who are at particularly high risk of stroke and to target preventive treatment."

The Dunhill Medical Trust grant will be given over six years, with £564,904 of it helping the Stroke Prevention Research Unit to continue the Oxford Vascular Study (Oxvasc).

Launched in 2002, Oxvasc is a detailed study of all patients with acute vascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks, in a population of nearly 100,000 in nine Oxfordshire GP practices.

By collecting data on risk factors for stroke, clinical researchers can intervene early to prevent a major stroke.

An important aspect of the programme is the Acute Vascular Imaging Centre, to be built next to the accident and emergency department at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.

It will be led by Prof Buchan, a stroke expert, and Prof Jezzard, an expert in brain imaging techniques.

Prof Buchan said: "During a stroke, the brain can age three weeks a second.

"By using techniques to image the brain, such as computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), stroke specialists can target treatment.

"Having this imaging available onsite as the patient is rushed in will mean that no time is lost."

Prof Jezzard added: "This new centre will give us a window on to the brain at the most critical moment in time - immediately the patient arrives at the hospital."