Keywords
Citation
(2006), "UK - Clinician scientists win £3.6 million awards for patient-oriented academic research", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 19 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2006.06219gab.006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
UK - Clinician scientists win £3.6 million awards for patient-oriented academic research
Clinician scientists win £3.6 million awards for patient-oriented academic research
Keywords: Health and safety, Research, Quality improvement, Patient care
The Health Foundation has awarded six talented clinician scientists over £3.6 million to pursue translational research projects that have the potential to significantly improve the quality of patient care in the UK. The individuals have won places on The Health Foundation’s prestigious five-year Clinician Scientist Fellowships scheme which will allow them to pursue cutting-edge academic research alongside clinical practice whilst benefiting from the Foundation’s expertise in personal and professional development.
The winners represent a wide range of disciplines where there is an identified national shortage of research expertise – public health, radiology, surgery, psychiatry, immunology and obstetrics. They have been chosen because of the importance of their clinical research and also because they have the drive and ambition to translate their findings into practice in order to bring about significant and lasting improvements in the quality of patient care. The winners are:
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Dr Shiao-yng Chan, Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Birmingham – Studying the role of MCT8 in human foetal brain development.
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Dr Anna Gilmore, Clinical Lecturer in Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – Developing and evaluating policies to reduce tobacco use and harm.
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Dr Rajesh Jena, Specialist Registrar, University of Cambridge – Optimisation of radiotherapy treatment for patients with high-grade glioma.
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Robert MacLaren, Post-doctoral Research Assistant, University College London – Developing new transplantation treatments for patients suffering from retinal disease.
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Dr Andrew McIntosh, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh – Analysing brain structure and genetic profiles of individuals at high risk of developing bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
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Dr Stephen Till, Specialist Registrar, Imperial College London– Examining the benefits of novel vaccines for allergies caused by grass pollen.
Welcoming the new Clinician Scientist Fellows, The Health Foundation’s Chief Executive, Stephen Thornton, said; “These outstanding clinician scientists impressed our panel with their areas of research that will bring about important benefits for patients. We’re thrilled to back these individuals for the next five years so that they can advance knowledge and become leaders in their chosen fields. The Health Foundation is committed to supporting all six clinician scientists so that they can develop both professionally and personally. We hope that ultimately they will play a key role in influencing policy and changing practice in order to improve the quality of patient care across the UK.”
As part of the fellowship, each winner receives five years of full funding, an allowance for research expenses, plus protected time to undertake academic research and teaching alongside clinical practice. The personal and professional development provided by The Health Foundation will help the winners to develop the skills needed to disseminate their important research findings and to drive through improvements in the quality of patient care. The scheme is supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences which provides excellent mentoring support and access to a wide-ranging network of senior academic leaders to help these individuals share their research findings and build their careers.
For more information: www.health.org.uk