Wessex research champion scoops award

The winner of the Research Champion award at this year’s Advancing Healthcare Awards has been announced as Dr Lisa Roberts from Southampton.

The award, sponsored by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Health Education England aimed to celebrate research champions among allied health professionals (AHPs) and healthcare scientists who currently hold or who have recently completed an HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) programme award.

Lisa, an HEE/NIHR Senior Clinical Lecturer and Associate Professor and Consultant Physiotherapist at the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, impressed the judges with her work in implementing and delivering a multi-professional approach to clinical effectiveness and her work to promote clinical academic careers.

Dr Fleur Kitsell, Health Dean within HEE’s Wessex team and part of the judging panel, said:

The panel was impressed by all the applications received this year but Lisa stood out due to her work locally in establishing a network to exchange best practice and promote clinical academic careers, and nationally through being an NIHR Training Advocate and mentor, and sitting on the Council for AHP Research (CAHPR). Lisa is also passionate about supporting clinical academic careers across professional boundaries and this is evident through the support she has given to her students and aspiring researchers over the years. I am sure they will agree that Lisa is a true research champion.

Professor Dave Jones, NIHR Dean for Faculty Trainees said:

Research Champions like Lisa are crucial in raising awareness of clinical research and of the opportunities to pursue a clinical academic career. I hope that other NIHR trainees and other clinical academics are inspired by Lisa and the others shortlisted to be Research Champions in their own organisations.