Prize-winning Keele researchers collaborate with US partners on prestigious exchange visit

Researchers from Keele University’s School of Medicine have returned from a prestigious research exchange trip with colleagues in the USA, which was secured thanks to their previous success in an esteemed education prize. 

Professor Melanie Holden and Dr Charlotte Woodcock, from Keele’sCentre for Musculoskeletal Health Research, visited Washington DC for USA Exchange 2026 organised by the Royal Anniversary Trust, following Keele’s successful win in the 2009 Queen’s Anniversary Prize, now known as the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education. 

The USA Exchange was organised by the Trust to build education partnerships between universities and colleges in the UK and USA to mark the 100th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the founding patron of the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education. 

The Keele researchers formed one of just eight teams from across the UK selected to take part in the programme, which saw them visiting colleagues at US universities to explore potential collaborations, share knowledge and best practice, and forge closer working links. 

The team visited a range of partner universities based in the US including American University, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), as well as visiting Amazon Web Services world headquarters.  

During the visit Professor Holden and Dr Woodcock spent dedicated time with their USA research exchange partner, Professor Kelli Allen in the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Associate Director of the Health Systems Research Center of Innovation at the Durham VA Healthcare System. They spent time discussing how to build on the exchange to make a productive, sustainable partnership between the institutions beyond the exchange.   

Professor Holden said: "The exchange was a fantastic opportunity to meet inspiring leaders from across education, research and industry, and to learn from organisations tackling complex challenges in different ways.  

"It really highlighted the value of collaboration in driving innovation and impact. A particular highlight was spending time with Professor Kelli Allen to explore shared research interests and opportunities for future UK-US collaboration in musculoskeletal health research and rehabilitation. The experience has given us fresh perspectives, new connections and a strong foundation for future partnership working." 

Nichola Tasker, CEO of the Royal Anniversary Trust added: "It was a pleasure to welcome Keele University to the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education: USA Exchange. We are delighted to see a new partnership taking shape with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and look forward to seeing this collaboration grow, creating lasting impact on both sides of the Atlantic."