UHBW takes home four CRN West of England awards

The research community from the West of England gathered to celebrate the incredible achievements of their colleagues at the Clinical Research Network (CRN) West of England’s award ceremony.

The event, held on Thursday 14 September 2023 at the Guildhall in Bath, recognised the work of CRN-supported staff during the last year across 10 categories.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) received eight nominations and came home with four awards: CRN Local Specialty Research Lead of the Year, People-centred Research, Partnership with Industry and Collaboration in Research.

Diana Benton, Head of Research and Development/Deputy Director of Research at UHBW, said:

“We were delighted to attend the CRN West of England awards, at which the work in delivering clinical research across the region was celebrated.

“Huge congratulations to our four UHBW winners! Thank you for your commitment and enthusiasm in contributing to improving the care the NHS provides through research.”

Find out more about the UHBW winners.

CRN Local Specialty Research Lead (LSRL) of the year – Dr Amanda Hall, LSRL Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)

Dr Amanda Hall has worked to raise the profile of the West of England as an attractive place to carry out ENT research. Her proactive leadership has led to the growth of this portfolio, fostering collaboration and engagement with enthusiastic clinicians. Amanda’s remarkable passion, leadership, and achievements have significantly elevated the profile of ENT and audiology research.

People-centred research – UHBW Vaccine and Testing Team

The UHBW Vaccine and Testing Team’s public engagement efforts include school events, fresher fairs, and participation in “pint of science” events, a festival that brings researchers to local pubs and public spaces. Their work has resulted in students pursuing work experience placements with research teams, inspiring the next generation. The PPIE group they set up ensures participant feedback and insights shape the design of their vaccine trials. Their enthusiasm is evident in the work they do to encourage more people to take part in vaccine research and remain engaged once they have.

Partnership with industry – Women’s and Children’s Divisional Research Unit

The team’s collaboration with industry currently means there are 14 commercial trials open to recruitment across seven different clinical specialities. This is important as industry studies often allow the team to deliver innovative treatments that aren’t otherwise available for children across the south west. In the last year, their successful collaboration has allowed the first Advanced Therapy Investigational Medicinal Products (ATIMP) study in Bristol Royal Hospital for Children to open.

Collaboration in Research - HARMONIE Study West of England Regional Team (Women’s and Children’s team was part of the regional team)

The HARMONIE team spans across a wide geography of sites in the West of England, including both Primary and Secondary Care teams working together to advance RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) protection in babies. The regional team’s commitment to collaboration, driven by their shared goals, resilience and creative problem solving, has meant that they were particularly successful in recruitment over a six-month period, with fantastic performance across both Primary and Secondary Care, setting the West of England apart from other regions.

View all of this year’s winners on the CRN West of England website: https://local.nihr.ac.uk/news/winning-nominees-announced-at-crn-west-of-england-research-award-2023/34443