What is your role?
As Director of Research, I oversee and develop research activity within our trust, with the support of the Research Delivery team and our local Clinical Investigators. I also work in partnership with our academic collaborators and the Clinical Research Network. I am Principle Investigator in a number of research studies in Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love helping to improve patient treatment and care through research. I enjoy supporting colleagues to engage in Research. I love the variety of my job – I get to meet a lot of people in a lot of different roles and specialities both within the hospital and with our collaborators. The best part of the job is the feedback we have had from patients when they feel that research has added value to their care.
Why did you join the Research team?
I strongly believe that research is a core part of NHS function. We know research active organisations deliver better quality care in all areas, not just in research. Active research studies allow us to help meet the needs of our local Kingston population and answer questions that seem important to our own patients and I want to support this. There was no real research department when I started as Research Lead 7 years ago. Today, I am so proud to be part of part of this bright, enthusiastic team.
What is your role?
I became full-time in February 2020 and very quickly my focus was shifted to lead studies investigating possible treatments for combatting COVID 19 and also reasons why some people became critically ill with this disease whilst others do not – RECOVERY and Gen OMICC studies.
COVID 19 demanded a different way of working of us all and it has been amazing to see the collaboration amongst consultants of different specialities, nurses, junior doctors, pharmacy and lab staff.
In what is a difficult time for everyone, staff and patients have been and still are fantastic in engaging in research which has already informed possible life saving treatments for this disease.
I am proud that the contribution of our staff and patients has been recognised by our research teams inclusion in many study result publications such as Nature.
As someone still relatively new to clinical research it really has been an honour to have learnt so much so quickly and be a part of this awesome team.
Why did you join the Research team?
After nearly 20 years in various roles in the NHS I joined the team part-time in January 2019 focussing mainly on gastroenterology study recruitment.
What is your role?
Currently, I am research delivery lead for some of the observational and interventional clinical research studies, including the dermatology portfolio, rheumatology and cardiology studies. I am excited to be a part of the dynamic research team at KH and enjoy working with colleagues across services, not only for my research studies but also for projects and initiatives Trust-wide and across various clinical research networks.
Why did you join the Research team?
I joined the research team at KH in 2020 as a research practitioner. I have always been passionate about research and enjoy working with patients and multidisciplinary colleagues. I completed my Ph.D. in nutrition from the Penn State University (USA) in 2003. My doctoral work focussed on nutrition, immune function and aging. I also trained in statistics for biological sciences and nutritional epidemiology research.
I completed two post-doctoral positions which enhanced my knowledge of immunology research. My first post-doctoral position at the Johns Hopkins University (USA) gave me the opportunity to work on the role of T cells and cytokines in acute renal failure. My second post-doctoral position at the Technical University of Munich, Germany was in the field of nuclear medicine (development of targeted radiolabelled probes for molecular imaging in prostate cancer). I moved to the UK in 2007 and worked in various research positions (UCL – Hepatology and King’s College Hospital – Cardiology) part-time as my children were young.
I made a shift from research to the business side in 2013 when I started working at Kingston Hospital. At Kingston hospital, I have worked in Occupational Therapy for 2 years as an office manager, Nutrition and Dietetics for 4 years as a clinical administrator, and in cancer services for a year as an MDT Co-ordinator in Audiology and ENT. I strengthened my skills in health care management with the completion of a Master’s in ‘Leadership and Management in Health’ in 2020.
What is your role?
My role is quite varied, but the salient aspects to my role are Research Governance oversight, Team Management and Portfolio Management. Together, in Research and Innovation, we aim to embed a research culture into other departments daily work life, for the benefit of the patients we serve in the local area.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I have only been in post for 4 days, so at present I am enjoying the newness of the role!
Why did you join the Research team?
I have always enjoyed research and have spent the majority of my work life in a research setting. When the opportunity arose to join the R&I team, I knew it was something I wanted to do. Having worked with the Cancer Research team previously at Kingston, I had links with the R&I team during that time. I am happy to be now working within the team, helping to build the research portfolio for Kingston Hospital.
What is your role?
I am the lead Research Governance Facilitator for the trust, across all specialities. I ensure all new projects including service evaluations and research projects follow the correct approval pathway, in line with the Research Governance framework, National Institute for Health Research and ICH GCP. I support new research studies from birth of an idea, writing proposal/ protocol, supporting documents, review of IRAS application prior to submission, issue final confirmation of Capacity and Capability approval to open up the research study to commence recruitment, support queries on managing the trial whilst it is open to close down. I also facilitate feasibility reviews of approved research studies so we can open up as a host site.
I signpost new researchers to appropriate training, approval pathways, new research grant calls, new research studies to set up here in the trust. I also support external research staff to work on site supplying and reviewing research passport forms/ NHS to NHS forms, commence eligibility checks and issue final Letter of Access/ Honorary Contract.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love talking to new researchers from the birth of their ideas and support the creation of a brand new innovative Research study. I learn something new every day by each person who acknowledges a gap in particular area in healthcare and wants to close that gap for our patients.
Why did you join the Research team?
Ever since I graduated in 2010 I have always wanted to work in Research. Being part of the change to better healthcare is an amazing feeling and I am inspired daily by researchers who want to contribute to the change.
What is your role?
I lead on the strategic and operational management of the Research and Innovation Department and oversee all aspects of the Research that we deliver. I am responsible for the continuing development of our research portfolio and ensuring that we have the infrastructure and resources in place to undertake studies relevant to our patient population.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Being able to provide our patients access to research opportunities and being able to share in their healthcare journeys. The feedback that we get from our patients and colleagues across the Trust make this an incredibly rewarding role.
The research that we do not only benefits our patient population but, as the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, can be a part of national and international healthcare improvement.
Why did you join the Research team?
I initially joined the Research team as a Research Coordinator back in 2018 to experience consenting and delivering research directly to patients. I am a Pharmacy Technician and had many years of experience delivering clinical trials from this perspective and wanted to develop my skills. After 2 years of this, with my experience of Research Governance from working within the Clinical Research Network, I was able to undertake the roles of Research Delivery Manager, and then Deputy Head of Research. These roles gave me the opportunity to aid in the set up and logistics of the studies that we run here at Kingston Hospital. I have loved being a part of the Research team and working with colleagues across the Trust to promote research and am excited to push forward with Kingston’s Research Strategy within my current role.
What is your role?
My role as a research practitioner is to support clinicians in running studies alongside them in clinic to introduce research to patients. Our aim is to offer patient the opportunity to take part in studies that may directly benefit their care or support the improvement of care and treatment in the future. I consent patients to studies, collect information and tissue samples, process samples and ensure that the study is run ethically and according to the study protocol. I also train and support junior staff.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Spending time with patients to assist them in their choices along their treatment pathway. I love being part of a multidisciplinary clinical team, conducting assessments and contributing to important questions on health and wellbeing.
Why did you join the Research team?
I have always had a strong drive to help others. I joined the team to develop clinical skills and experience in the hope that I may be able to work to develop studies as part of a team with the benefit of a strong foundation in clinical practice. This would help to be more efficient in answering the research questions and to create a better experience for patients.
What is your role?
On a day to day basis, I identify, screen and assess patient’s eligibility to take part in the various studies I currently work on, provide them information about those studies and receive their informed consent, when appropriate. I ensure study-specific investigations are undertaken and questionnaires completed.
The role of a research nurse is complex, exciting, and interesting. Research nurses are at the forefront of new developments in treatments for their patients. Day to day, the role of a research nurse may vary, as they hold numerous responsibilities. These can include:
What do you enjoy most about your job?
My knowledge of Research prior to joining the Research Team in July 2017 at Kingston was limited but has given me a new direction in my nursing career integrating and changing practice. This role offers the opportunity to work in varied projects and develop good relationships and working in close collaboration with external partners and multidisciplinary teams.
I enjoy the flexibility, autonomy and innovation that my role allows me to have. I also appreciate the time that I get to spend with patients, and quite often getting to know them well.
Why did you join the Research team?
Research is essential. It is the only evidence-based method of deciding whether a new approach to treatment or care is better than the current standard, and is essential to diagnose, treat, prevent, and cure disease. Research nurses play a vital role in delivering research, and ultimately improving patient care.
Having provided me with many opportunities for personal and professional development, I believe the Research and Innovation Department at Kingston provides a great environment to work.
What is your role?
As a research Nurse, I identify, screen, recruit, interview and follow up participants for research trials from different departments across Kingston Hospital according to the appropriate protocols. I am currently leading Research studies for Urogynaecology, Cardiology and respiratory departments
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy the interaction with colleagues, the sponsors and participants
Why did you join the Research team?
I joined the Team as a retired nurse as this role provides me with the suitable work life balance.
What is your role?
I have a Key role to ensure that high quality and safe research is undertaken within the maternity department. This involves working on different projects in maternity and providing support to women and babies who have been or may be recruited to studies.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Always learning something new every day, whether it being through my other colleagues, through the women when recruiting them to studies and opening up new studies. It is great to continuously learn in any profession, I believe it is shaping me in to an effective and knowledgeable research midwife to help partake in quality research.
Why did you join the Research team?
I have had an interest in research for a long time, which started when completing my dissertation for my first degree in nursing. I want to be able to contribute to make a positive difference to the care that is provided to women and babies.
What is your role?
My background is anaesthetics so my skills and knowledge gained over the years support my research practice. Nevertheless working in research is an on-going learning process which requires further development in order to understand and being able to inform the patients about the trial specifically related issues.
My usual activities include:
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I really enjoy being a research nurse as it is giving me an opportunity to widen my knowledge in the various clinical areas, meeting new people and knowing that what we are preparing the foundations for improving patients care and treatments.
Why did you join the Research team?
I joined research knowing that this is a great source of satisfaction and massive learning opportunities which I have always been keen on.
What is your role?
My role is to provide administrative support to all R&I team, but most often include tasks such as answering phones, maintaining organized site files, taking minutes, creating reports, assisting the study leads with their studies and data entering and much more.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love the fact we are helping to develop new ways of improve patients illness and also the fact I get to be part of this process by helping screening, entering patient data.
Why did you join the Research team?
I started my apprenticeship in Research and Innovation department at Kingston Hospital in December 2019. I had never worked in an office environment before as I came from a retail job, after 13 months of working with this lovely team I have learned so much. I am now a qualified administrator and I am keen to see where my research journey will take me and also I want to contribute for the growth and success of the Research and Innovation here in Kingston Hospital.
You can find out a little more about some of the team below.
Research Nurse, Oncology Sir William Rous Unit
“I worked as a staff nurse at Endoscopy and A&E before going to Clinical Research trials. I got interested in this field of specialty and wanted to learn further on how research studies are being conducted, new treatment methods, and new drugs. How they measure efficacy of treatment and ensuring that they are safe for use by the people.
My first exposure in research was doing phase 1 clinical trials with healthy volunteers for a CRO company.
I eventually moved to oncology research trials and was involved in phase 1-3 studies for drug development, providing chemotherapy treatment to both private and NHS patients
Joined the research team at Marsden and Kingston in 2017, and presently working as Oncology Research Nurse.
It is good to be part of the team and help build research portfolio for both trust as well as being able to help improve patient service.”
What is your role?
Recruiting patients onto clinical trials. Working on studies specialising in Oncology Solid tumours. Screening patients and approaching suitable patients to explain studies they could be involved in. Patient eligibility completion and consenting. Completing study case report forms and study related activities. Managing and leading on studies. Dealing with patient data and following up patients as per study protocols. Working on increasing the research portfolio for Marsden and Kingston
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy my patient facing role as this gives me the opportunity to be actively involved in recruitment for studies. The thing that gives me the most satisfaction is that at the end of the day I am involved in creating better opportunities for patient treatment pathways.
Why did you join the Research team?
It was when I was completing my Cancer Biology masters degree at Kingston University that I developed a great passion for research in Cancer. I started looking for opportunities to work in Research in a role where I would be actively involved in patient care and a Clinical Trials Practitioner position was most suited to me.
What is your role?
I support the Cancer Research Office’s Research Nurse and Clinical Trials Practitioner with the administration of the clinical research studies in the cancer portfolio. My job is to manage the data requirements and site file administration for all studies, approximately thirty. I am kept very busy not just with ten or so studies actively recruiting but also the remainder which are in long term follow up or have closed. A side line to my clinical trial work is to keep the office ticking with a stock of consumables and up to date equipment.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Sometimes being a data manager is like being a detective. I enjoy the challenge of finding quirky data. My maintenance of the study site files enables us as a team to conduct our clinical research activities in a compliant and effective way. This gives me a lot of satisfaction. I enjoy interacting with participants in person or over phone and getting their feedback about their research experience. Most are motivated by altruism and want to know that their data will help the next generation of patients.
Why did you join the Research team?
Feeling as though I could make a difference is why I joined the research team. I am a small cog in a giant national mechanism. I enjoy being part of something which could make a significant difference to the health of people in the future.
