Five staff members awarded HEE/NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF)

We are pleased to announce that five staff members have successfully been awarded the Health Education England (HEE) / National IHR Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF). This prestigious programme supports early career researchers by allowing them to dedicate time to gain essential skills needed to prepare for a competitive, doctoral-level research training fellowship. The awardees are:

Tolulope Folaranmi

Victoria Carruthers

Ruth Burgess

Melanie McGinlay

Hannah Beba

PCAF
L-R; Tolulope Folaranmi, Victoria Carruthers, Ruth Burgess, Melanie McGinlay and Hannah Beba

Tolulope Folaranmi, an Advanced Biomedical Scientist, expressed delight in receiving the PCAF award, marking it as a pivotal milestone in her clinical academic journey and a significant advancement in her research on urinary tract infection (UTI) diagnostics and management. She thanks the Microbiology department and her mentors, Dr Andrew Kirby, Dr Kerrie Davies, Dr Jane Freeman, and Professor Gail Hayward, for their support and guidance. Tolulope hopes her achievement will inspire fellow Biomedical Scientists to take on more prominent roles in addressing health challenges through research.

Victoria Carruthers, a Specialist Occupational Therapist, is thrilled to work with international leaders in Neurological Occupational Therapy research. Her focus is on early community rehabilitation in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and exploring digital technology’s role in this area. During her fellowship, Victoria plans to conduct a UK-wide survey of mTBI early community rehabilitation and a systematic review of digital technology for mTBI rehabilitation. She aims to build professional networks and prepare a competitive PhD application.

Ruth Burgess, a Research Nurse in Cardiorespiratory Research, is grateful for the PCAF award, which will enable her to develop skills and knowledge for a future clinical academic doctoral fellowship. Her research interest is improving access to palliative care for patients with heart failure. Ruth is excited about collaborating with leaders in both palliative care and heart failure research and is eager to support others in undertaking research projects.

Melanie McGinlay, a Heart Failure Clinical Nurse Specialist, is excited about the opportunity to delve into her research interest in reducing heart failure hospitalizations through predictive modelling aided by physiological measures and wearable devices. She plans to undergo academic training in applied statistical modelling and health informatics. Melanie is enthusiastic about developing networks with clinical academic leaders and the industry in chronic heart failure and wearable technology.

The PCAF will also allow her to build on her relationship with the Leeds Cardiovascular Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group while designing a research project integrated with PPIE and leadership in preparation for a Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship application.

Hannah Beba, a Consultant Pharmacist for Diabetes West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is thrilled about the opportunity to start to define her clinical academic career as a consultant pharmacist. She plans to undertake exciting research on diabetes management through the lens of renal health. Hannah is passionate about improving the implementation of gold standard management for multi-morbidity in people living with diabetes. She feels that people’s lives can be improved by using a wider workforce pharmacists. The burden of chronic kidney disease can be reduced in the healthcare system. She hopes to grow my research community and expand my research skills through key training and working with her expert supervisors and mentors.

These fellowships are a significant step forward in the clinical academic careers of these dedicated professionals. Their achievements reflect not only their commitment but also our institution’s innovative, forward-thinking approach. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of their research on healthcare outcomes and the advancement of their respective fields.