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South West Research Award Winners Announced

  • 7 October 2020
  • 4 min read

Following the broadcast of our virtual awards ceremony, we are now happy to share with you the winners and high commended nominees for our Research Awards 2020. The awards celebrate innovation and excellence in health and care research across Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset. 

Going digital

As the glitzy evening award ceremony, we had planned wasn’t suitable in the midst of the global pandemic our ceremony moved, like much of our work, online. Researchers from across the region gathered around laptops and computers to watch the announcement of winners for each of the 12 categories. The announcements were shared on our Twitter feed reaching over 12,000 people in two days. The engagement continued the high level of interest shown by the 190 nominees from across the region.

During the ceremony shortlisted nominees heard addresses from Dr Pauline McGlone, Chief Operating Officer, CRN SWP, Dr Michael Gibbons, Clinical Director, CRN SWP and Dr Richard Laugharne Deputy Clinical Director, CRN SWP.

‘Everyone who’s involved in research is a winner’

Dr Michael Gibbons said:

“The way in which we work has changed as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, but what’s quite clear however is our commitment to patients has not. Our commitment to getting patients into research has not changed.

“Everyone who’s involved in research is a winner. Even if you haven’t had an award today you are still a winner. You’re a winner because you have given patients the opportunity to be involved in research which will allow a better understanding of their condition.

“Give yourself a massive pat on the back and continue to work in the way that you do so we can continue to give our patient even more opportunities for the future.”

And the winners are…

The Winners and Highly Commended Nominees of the National Institute for Health Research, Clinical Research Network, South West Peninsula, Research awards 2020 are:

Research Allied Health Professional Award

Winner: Emma Lamarti, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Highly Commended:

Research Occupational Therapists, Devon Partnership Trust

Neil Powell, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Contribution In A Community Setting Award

Winner: The ODDESSI Trial Team, Devon Partnership Trust

Highly Commended:

Prof Katrina Wyatt, Dr Andrew James Williams, David Aynsley, Becci Gowers, Kelly Stevens and Dr Lisa Price, University of Exeter and “TR14ers”

Lydia Hall, Teign Estuary Medical Group

Early Career Network Award

Winner: The Trainee Emergency Research Network (TERN)

Highly Commended:

PRISM SW (Pulmonary Research Inter-Site Matrix (PRISM) South West)

PACT (Primary Care Academic CollaboraTive)

Early Career Researcher Award

Winner: Dr Holly Sugg, University of Exeter

Highly Commended:

Linda Solbrig, University of Plymouth

Kim Kirby, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Innovation Award

Winner: The SWP Digital Solutions Team with Amicus Health

Highly Commended:

Sarah Levio, Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Michael Visick, Bianca Mills, and the RCHT Team, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Patient Research Experience Award

Winner: The Cardiac Research Team, Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust

Highly Commended:

Debbie Hughes, Lisa Felmeden, Alison Summerhayes & Justine Sutton (DAPT study team), Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Principal Investigator Award

Winner: Dr Duncan Browne, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Highly Commended:

Dr Philip Keeling, Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Neil Powell, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Public Engagement Award

Winner: Dr Lyndsey Withers

Highly Commended:

PaReNt Systematic Review Project - Rebecca Whear, Harriet Hunt, Kate Boddy, Alison Bethel, NIHR ARC South West

Kate Boddy, Kristin Liabo, Emma Cockcroft, Tanya Hynd and Nicky Britten, NIHR ARC South West

Research Administrator or Co-ordinator Award

Winner: Mia Jones, Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust

Highly Commended:

Gina Townley, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Nicki Allott, Roborough Surgery

Community and Primary Care Professional Services, University of Plymouth

Nurse or Midwife Award

Winner: Sarah Benyon, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Commended:

Debbie Hughes, Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Helen Black, Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust

Research Practice Award

Winner: Claremont Medical Practice Research Team

Highly Commended:

Rame Group Practice

Rehan Symonds, Kathryn Beck, Gill Besley and Dawn Diprose, Oak Tree Surgery

Outstanding Contribution Award

Winner: The Haematology Research Team, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Highly Commended:

The Home Study Team, Devon Partnership NHS Trust

The PenCHORD Team, NIHR ARC South West

Outstanding regional contributions to research

Winners will receive a glass trophy and Highly Commended shortlisted nominees a framed certificate to mark their achievements. We’d like to thank IQVIA for sponsoring the trophies.

We’d like to thank all the people involved in organising the awards and we hope to be in a position next year to celebrate together in person. A special thank you also goes out to all those that took the time to nominate exception researchers, teams, and organisations from across the South West.

Please share your Research Awards 2020 experience using the hashtag: #SWRes2020

Pictured: Andrew Appelboam presents Hamza Malik, SW Peninsula TERN Representative, with the SWP CRN Early Career Trainee Network Award.

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