Unique role boosts local research for patients


James Cook
Posted on 26 January 2016

A unique role to support partnership working between the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) and Keele University is set to boost joint research projects to help local patients.

In what is the first joint role between the two organisations to support research partnership working, James Cook has taken up the newly-created position of Research Grant Facilitator.

James, aged 34, said: “My remit is to support joint projects crossing the boundaries between clinical research, which is carried out at the Trust in its wards and clinics, and basic lab-based science carried out at Keele University’s Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM).”

For James, who lives in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, this represents a return to Keele University where earlier in his career he completed his Masters and was a research assistant. In his new role he will be using his extensive research experience including time as a clinical trials manager at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dr Keira Watts, Academic Development Lead in the Research and Development Team at UHNM, said: “This is a great new role to bridge the gap between our two organisations with the shared aim of helping to improve patient care.”

Professor Nick Forsyth, Associate Director of Keele’s ISTM, said: “The appointment of James provides a real boost to the joint working strategies of the University’s ISTM and the Trust’s Research and Development Team with our shared research ambitions.”

James will be based in the Trust’s Research and Development Department and at Keele University’s Guy Hilton Research Centre, which is also based on the Trust’s site at Hartshill.