Chief Operating Officer, NIHR Clinical Research Network NWC. Delivering research to make patients, and the NHS, better. All views expressed are my own.

Joined December 2012
Our Associate Director and Lead Nurse Pat Gillis has been given a top NHS award. Pat has been honoured with the Chief Nursing Officer Gold Award for her outstanding contribution to cancer nursing across Cheshire and Merseyside over many years. See: ow.ly/pGMc5100pG2
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Last month, we welcomed nearly 100 colleagues from across Blackpool, Lancashire and beyond to our annual conference. 🔎 We explored how research can help us understand health inequalities, improve services and make better decisions for our communities. (1/) 🧵
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We were delighted to join colleagues from across the North West this week in Liverpool to celebrate 20 years of the @NIHRresearch! We're proud to be part of a community working together to improve health and social care through high-quality research! #NIHR #NIHR20 #patientsafety
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This week, we celebrated #NIHR20 in Liverpool, bringing together the North West research community to reflect on 20 years of health and care research. Thank you to Dr Alex Churchill from @DHSCgovuk for joining us and delivering the closing reflections.
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🏆 Our 6th NIHR Impact Prize 2026 winner is the Southampton HARMONIE Trial Team, recognised in the research team category! Their research showed that the RSV antibody nirsevimab reduced hospitalisations in infants by 83%, helping protect babies from serious respiratory illness. It is now recommended by @WHO, approved in more than 50 countries and has been received by 11 million children worldwide. Congratulations! 👏 @UHSFT #NIHRImpactPrizes #NIHR20
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Join us at Wirral Wellness Festival 2026! 🌿 A weekend of health, wellbeing, community and connection in Birkenhead Park. Wellness Market • Live fitness classes • Expert speakers • Kids' zone • Dog zone • Family-friendly activities Get your free tickets below 🔽
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Meet Katy Cleece! Katy began her research career in 2022, and this year was one of 40 researchers recognised as part of our #NIHR20 Research Leaders Prizes. She is currently undertaking an NIHR Predoctoral Award. Find out how we can support you to take the next step in your career: nihr.ac.uk/career-developmen…
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☁️ Air quality improvements following the introduction of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) are strongly linked to improving children’s lung growth, finds new NIHR-funded research. The landmark 5-year study found that cutting traffic pollution helped restore lung growth previously stunted by air pollution. Professor Chris Griffiths, joint senior author from @UniofOxford and @QMUL, said: “Traffic pollution in cities damages children’s health and development. We provide the strongest evidence yet on how these harms can be prevented. Ambitious clean air zones should be considered a priority for cities globally with traffic-related air pollution. This study was led by @QMUL, in collaboration with @imperialcollege, @uniofbeds, @EdinburghUni, @Cambridge_Uni and @UniversityofSo5. This study was also supported by our @BartsBRC. Read the full story on our website 👇 nihr.ac.uk/news/introducing-…
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Our Strategic and Wider Care Settings Funding is enabling organisations to deliver projects to enhance access to research. @SCFCCommunity, 1 of our funding recipients, celebrated their project's first 12 months by inviting our North West team and other partners to their stadium
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We are committed to supporting the growth of research delivery in primary care. The NIHR has funded a refurbished research facility at Readesmoor Medical Centre in Cheshire, where the team are now working on their first-ever commercially-sponsored trial.
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"Taking part in a research internship has given me the opportunity to explore research alongside my clinical role and deepen my understanding of health inequalities," says physiotherapist Joseph Northover. Through an internship supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast (ARC NWC), Joe developed a research project exploring patients' experiences of shoulder rehabilitation at the UHL Group. By bringing a research perspective to his clinical practice, Joe is helping to generate evidence that could improve care for future patients. #ResearchMatters #NIHR
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"Vaccines save lives, but only if they can reach the people who need them. Removing the need for refrigeration could be transformative for communities around the world. "This is a great example of UK research once again leading the way to bring life-saving treatments to people where they are, making health equity a reality." - NIHR Chief Executive Professor Lucy Chappell on today's exciting vaccine research news from @SouthamptonCRF and @SouthamptonBRC
New research published today reports promising results from the first human trial of a fridge-free vaccine. Delivered through our BRC and the @SouthamptonCRF, the study could help transform vaccine delivery worldwide. 💉🌍 🔗 southamptonbrc.nihr.ac.uk/po…
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❄️ The world-first trial of a fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine has produced encouraging results that could improve access worldwide to crucial treatments, while reducing carbon emissions. Around half of vaccines are wasted globally each year due to of temperature changes during storage and transport, according to the @WHO. Fridge-free vaccines have the potential to transform vaccine delivery by reducing this dependence on refrigeration. Read the full story on our website ⬇️ nihr.ac.uk/news/fridge-free-…
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“One day, I was living a normal life and the next I wasn’t.” For the last 6 years, Jordan Brook, 35, has lived with ulcerative colitis, a long-term inflammatory bowel disease which affects around 1 in 227 people in the UK. Jordan’s diagnosis impacted all areas of his life, leaving him unable to spend time with friends, family and his nine-year-old son. He tried many treatments for his condition over the years, but nothing seemed to work. Jordan was then offered the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial investigating a new treatment for the condition. Despite being initially sceptical about taking part, Jordan’s life has been transformed thanks to research. ✨ Read Jordan's full story and see how you can take part in research 👉bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/…
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We know that people with lived experience improve our research immeasurably, and have been dedicated to listening to the people who benefit from our research since we were founded 20 years ago. Inclusive research doesn't just improve health, it also makes the UK a better place to do research, helping us attract global innovation and investment which leads to growth and strengthens our economy. Read more about how we prioritise inclusion in all areas of our work in the Inclusion chapter of our Annual Report ⬇️ nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-a…
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Congratulations to our ARDT Clinical Manager, Nathalie Nicholas, on being shortlisted at the #BlackHealthcareAwards2026 👏 Thank you to @CAHN_UK for recognising and celebrating the achievements of Black healthcare professionals and the diversity that strengthens our workforce.
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A record 707 new commercial studies were added to the RDN portfolio in 2025/26. That’s a 16.9% increase on the previous year. Find out more: nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-a…
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BREAKING NEWS 📰 A less invasive treatment for prostate cancer called focal therapy is just as effective as surgery or radiotherapy, with a lower risk of side effects, a new study has found. The 10-year study, led by @imperialcollege, was supported by us through a doctoral fellowship, our @ImperialBRC and the Imperial Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre. As @PreetKGillMP, Minister for Health Innovation and Safety, said: "Our National Cancer Plan sets out our ambition to transform cancer care, and backing innovations like focal therapy is exactly how we are delivering on that promise." Read more in the @BBCNews coverage ⬇️
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We're looking for an Agile Research Delivery Team Manager to join our team in the North West. This integral role focuses on supporting the delivery of research in community and residential settings Apply by 28 June. ➡️rdn.nihr.ac.uk/jobs/agile-re…
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Ran the 10K Epsom & Ewell @raceforlife today in support of @CR_UK (third consecutive 10K weekend but the heat was tough today!) As clinicians and researchers, we see every day why sustained investment in #cancer research matters: earlier diagnosis, better biomarkers, safer treatments, more personalised care, and meaningful breakthroughs that translate into longer and better lives for patients. Proud to support the science, the patients, the families, and the teams working towards the next generation of cancer treatments. Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters 🫂 #RaceForLife #CancerResearchUK #CancerResearch
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