Research and healthcare staff recognised at the North West London Clinical Research Awards 2020

Yesterday (19 November 2020) the Clinical Research Network North West London hosted its second annual Clinical Research Awards, showcasing the work carried about by researchers and research staff on studies across our region.

This year there were 41 nominees across nine categories, including two extra categories introduced this year in order to recognise those working on COVID-19 Urgent Public Health studies.

There were also three awards given based on performance.

Outstanding Collaborative Working

The Outstanding Collaborative Working category is for the individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to the delivery of NIHR CRN portfolio studies by working collaboratively.

The winners this year were the Clinical Research Team at West Middlesex Hospital, part of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The team was nominated because of the way the hospital’s research nurses and midwives came together to collaborate on COVID-19 studies despite it not being their usual role. This was a particular challenge for the research midwives who joined the team at the start of the pandemic and continued to work unfazed in unfamiliar territory helping the research nurses in non-pregnancy related COVID-19 trials.

“The whole team has been fantastic, so supportive. They’ve done amazing things. I couldn’t ask for a better team to be a part of.”

- Lauren Trepte, Research Midwife

Excellence in Patient and Public Involvement

This award recognises an individual or team that has gone the extra mile to ensure that patients, the public, their relatives and carers are involved in research projects and are aware of research opportunities.

This year’s winner is the Academic Vascular Surgery Trials Team at Imperial College London. The team has continuously strived to keep patients at the heart of everything they do, for example by setting up an active patient and public involvement group that have helped the team develop new and innovative methods of disseminating study results to a wider audience.

Rising Star

This award recognises the achievements of an individual who is new to research, and has gone above and beyond expectations to make a positive impact on research delivery.

This year’s winner is Lillie Pakzad-Shahabi, from Imperial College London. Lillie has moved up through the ranks at Imperial, from MDT co-ordinator to her current role as a Clinical Research Practitioner, and has now designed her own clinical trial, CAPABLE, looking at improving the quality of life for people diagnosed with a brain tumour. She is never afraid to start a new challenge involving research or patients, no matter how big and difficult it might be.

“It’s really amazing to have been acknowledged for this. I just want to continue doing all I can for patients and the teams.”

- Lillie Pakzad-Shahabi

Outstanding Research Support

This award recognises the standout contribution of an individual that has contributed to the successful set up or delivery of a clinical study.

The judging panel had a difficult time reaching a decision in this category, and awarded a Highly Commended certificate to Clinical Research Nurse Amrinder Sayan from Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust.

This year’s winner is Clinical Trial Co-ordinator Sofiya Portukhay from The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Sofiya joined the team in January 2020 as the most junior member of the Research and Development  department and was soon put in charge of the Urgent Public Health study, ISARIC. Despite being still very new to the Trust, she showed great initiative at bringing various hospital colleagues together to collaborate in the best ways to identify potential participants and helped her team learn more about COVID-19 in general.

“The team in Hillingdon is probably the most supportive and dedicated team I’ve ever worked with in research and I’m really grateful for working with them. And with the CRN North West London. Thank you all.”

- Sofiya Portukhay

Outstanding Principal Investigator

This award celebrates the achievements of a researcher who has successfully led a Portfolio study. To be nominated their work needs to have improved the quality and impact of portfolio research.

This year’s winner is Dr Christiana Dinah, Macula Service and Research Lead at Central Middlesex Hospital (part of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust). Dr Dinah was nominated for her work in establishing a research unit in a previously research-naïve Ophthalmology department and  increasing Ophthalmology research output in North West London, attracting commercial and non-commercial trials.

“Thank you so much. Our aim was always to simply make research available to the community. To be able to do it so excellently with a very motivated team has been really rewarding. So many thanks for the recognition.”

- Dr Christiana Dinah

Outstanding Achievement by an Individual

This category celebrates those people who demonstrate that they have gone the extra mile to deliver research.

This year’s winner is Dr Sandra Scott from Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Scott is retiring next year after over 40 years of NHS service, 30 as a research nurse. During this time she has worked on over 40 commercial and academic research studies. She has been instrumental in improving outcomes for people with cystic fibrosis, coordinating and managing these studies with outstanding dedication and expertise.

“To win this award is absolutely amazing, I’d like to thank the whole team. And also the panel of judges who must have had a very tough decision to make. Thank you very much, I’m very honored and very humbled.”

- Dr Sandra Scott

Outstanding Achievement by a Team

This category celebrates those teams who demonstrate that they have gone the extra mile to deliver research.

The judging panel awarded a highly commended to the PROSAIC team at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.

This year’s winner is the Research and Development Team at Chelsea and Westminster Hopital NHS Foundation Trust. Damon Foster  and his team have been integral in facilitating and delivering research at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital through their positive attitude, strong work ethic and efficient communications, especially over the past several months during the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What an absolute honor, thank you very much. For such a strong field as well, to come out with the award is an absolute pleasure. The team is an absolute joy to manage and I’m very proud of all of them.”

- Damon Foster

The two final categories in this year’s awards marked the special contributions made by research staff across North West London and how they all rose to the challenge of COVID-19.

Special Recognition Award For Covid-19 Research – Industry

This award is open to an individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to the delivery of one of the commercial Urgent Public Health COVID-19 Studies.

This year’s winner is research nurse Chloe Wood, from the Strategic Workforce team at the Clinical Research Network North West London. Chloe has worked throughout the pandemic recruiting participants into several studies, under extra pressure of different PPE guidelines from different trusts and taking everything in her stride  with her tremendous work ethic and professionalism.

Special Recognition Award for COVID-19 Research

This is for the individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to the delivery of one of the non-commercial Urgent Public Health COVID-19 Studies. They worked fast and under great pressure to set up and open these studies to recruitment.

This year’s winners are the ICU Research Delivery Team at Royal Brompton & Harefield.  The team has delivered research in cardiothoracic critical care in particular severe respiratory failure over the past three years to great success. When COVID arrived, critical care capacity increased by 500% and worked with some of the most badly affected patients, and yet they managed to open several Urgent Public Health studies.  They have been commended on their ‘can do’ and ‘must do’ approach during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We started COVID critical care back in March. We were straight in at the deep end but we were able to get support from our research teams. We’re very pleased with the award - thank you to all who supported us.”

- ICU Research Delivery Team

Congratulations to all of our nominees in this year’s awards.

Outstanding Collaborative Working

• The Clinical Research Team at West Middlesex Hospital – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Peart Rose Research Team – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Imperial Translational Breast Cancer Research Team

Excellence in PPIE

• Imperial College Ophthalmology Research Group (ICORG)
• Academic Vascular Surgery Trials Team – Imperial College London

Rising Star

• Maddalena Ardissino – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Dr Anna Daunt – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Carmen Winpenny – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Lillie Pakzad-Shahabi – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Outstanding Research Support

• Sofiya Portukhay – The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
• Damon Foster – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Claire Peterson – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Amrinder Sayan – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Rhian Bull – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Outstanding Principal Investigator

• Dr Miriam Kadry – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• David J. Pinato – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Ms Christiana Dinah – London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
• Dr Eirini Merika – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Mr Sanjay Purkayastha – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Outstanding Achievement – Individual

• Dr Sandra Scott PhD – Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
• Alison Perry – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Dr Christiana Dinah – London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
• Carmen Winpenny – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Outstanding Achievement – Team

• Bowel Cancer Research and Screening Team – London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
• Ophthalmology Team – London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
• Prosaic Team – Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
• CRN NWL Community and Primary Care Team – Clinical Research Network North West London
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Research and Development Team – Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Special Recognition – COVID-19

• PAN-COVID Team – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Clinical Trials Centre – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Lejeune Gardener – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Mahitha Gummadi – Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
• NET Research Team – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Anna Bara – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• RBHT ICU Research Delivery Team – Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
• Pharmacy Clinical Trials Team – Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
• The REMAPCAP trial team – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Special Recognition – COVID-19 – Industry

• NIHR Imperial Clinical Research Facility – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Imperial MIC Research Feasibility Team – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Chloe Wood – Clinical Research Network North West London
• Dr Anna Daunt – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Also read all about the three additional awards given based on performance.