Prestigious Royal College of Physicians’ research award win for NIHR Director

Three NHS doctors, including an NIHR Director, have been named winners in this year’s prestigious Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Awards, which are run jointly with the NIHR.

Dr Effrossyni Gkrania-Klotsas, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), has won the prestigious researcher award alongside Professor Alex Comninos, Consultant Endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Both were chosen for outstanding contributions as NHS consultants who are delivering research to find new treatments and care pathways for patients.

Dr Gkrania-Klotsas, who also leads the NIHR’s Infection Specialty and is Director of Health and Care Medical at the NIHR East of England Regional Research Delivery Network (RDN), has made significant improvements to recruitment for clinical studies. She has led in the development of disease-specific patient research enrolment and methods of outreach at CUH and across the NHS, as well as emboldening doctors to pursue clinical research.

Dr Comninos has undertaken internationally recognised research focused on reproductive hormones and developing new drugs for menopause. He has led research to identify kisspeptin as a potential new treatment for low sexual desire and bone disorders like osteoporosis, laying the foundations for drug development to support patients with a range of conditions.

The researcher awards were presented at the 2024 Harveian Oration, held on Wednesday 23 October 2024.

This year’s RCP/NIHR Trainee award has been won by Dr Andreas Hadjinicolaou, Clinical Lecturer in Early Detection of Gastrointestinal Cancers at the University of Cambridge. Dr Hadjinicolaou has conducted extensive clinical research in gastroenterology and gastric cancer, including leading the nationally and internationally recognised PROSPERO study, which aims to improve research outcomes through improved collation of clinical studies.

Dr Effrossyni, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals, said:

“I am truly humbled to be selected for this prestigious award. I am particularly looking forward to the opportunity offered by this award to advertise clinical research and clinical trials for NHS consultants in the 2025 RCP Med+. Research should be part of what we do as part of every clinical interaction.”

Professor Tom Solomon, CBE Academic Vice President at the RCP, said:

“The RCP offers heartfelt congratulations to these truly deserving award winners.  All three have used innovative ways to strengthen NIHR Clinical Research Network [the precursor to the NIHR RDN, which launched in October 2024] studies, which are a vital asset to improving the health and wealth of the nation. Surveys show more NHS clinicians would like to get involved in research and the RCP is working with NIHR to find ways of facilitating this.”

Professor Nick Lemoine, Strategic Development Director of the NIHR Research Delivery Network, said:

“The standard of entries for this year's RCP awards was extremely high. It is commendable that these consultants and trainees from across the UK are leading the way in their chosen fields and managing clinical studies that will benefit future generations of patients in the NHS." 

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