The University has been shortlisted in four categories for the upcoming North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards.
The awards celebrate success and reward achievements for the excellent work being undertaken across the region in relation to clinical research and innovation within healthcare.
Open to teams or individuals from NHS organisations, universities, local authorities and third sector and private enterprise collaborations, the awards are designed to recognise initiatives which impact and improve patient care. This is the third time the awards have been held.
University nominations
Clinical Research Practitioner of the Year award
Professor John Field from the Institute of Translational Medicine is shortlisted for his research demonstrating that lung cancer screening identifies early stage disease and saves lives, and his ongoing work advocating the wider implemenation of screening programmes.
Research Student of the Year award
Dr Ahmed Al-Naher from the Institute of Translational Medicine, is shortlisted for his PhD project to develop personalised kidney function monitoring guidelines, based on the clinical symptoms of individual patients with heart failure. He is also recognised for coordinating working partnerships with patients, NHS services and industry to collaborate within the project.
Research for Wellbeing award
PhD student Sarah Allen from the Institute of Psychology, Health and Society has been nominated alongside her supervisors Professor Rebecca Harris, Dr Steve Brown and Professor Simon Rogers (Aintree University Hospital) for her work exploring socioeconomic differences in doctor-patient communication with head and neck cancer patients.
Excellence In The Delivery of Commercial Life Science Research award
Professor Carlo Palmieri from the Institute of Translational Medicine and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is shortlisted for the development and design of a clinical trial that combines genomic medicine and cancer therapeutics to improve treatment and outcomes for breast cancer patients.
The awards are a collaboration between the Innovation Agency (AHSN for the North West Coast), the NIHR Clinical Research Network North West Coast (CRN NWC); and NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care North West Coast (CLAHRC NWC).
Dr Liz Mear, Chief Executive of the Innovation Agency commented: “There are fantastic innovations happening across the region which are transforming the way health care is delivered to patients – and which are helping people to manage their own conditions. These awards will showcase the very best of health innovations and the individuals and teams who are introducing and spreading them for the benefit of our local population.”
Professor Mark Gabbay, Director of the CLAHRC NWC also commented: “I look forward to the opportunity to celebrate the innovative and excellent applied research and implementation work we are doing to seek ways to reduce health inequalities. The CLAHRC NWC brings together Universities, NHS organisations, Local Authorities and the Public working together to devise and deliver research and innovation evaluations through to delivering the findings to make a real difference to health and wellbeing. These awards enable us to recognise the excellent work developed and delivered across this partnership.”
Jacqueline Pirmohamed, Chief Operating Officer for the CRN NWC sees the awards as the year’s highlight commenting: “Clinical research plays a vital role ensuring that today’s NHS remains at the forefront of delivering world class care. The awards provide us an opportunity to say thank you to all staff, patients and public who have been involved in clinical trials as we are in debt to all of those who step forward to be part of the research solution.”
The award winners will be announced at a ceremony taking place at Preston North End Football Club on the evening of 8 March 2018.