Keele researchers selected for prestigious USA exchange programme
Researchers from the Centre for Musculoskeletal Health Research at Keele University have been selected to take part in an exclusive exchange programme with colleagues in Washington DC thanks to their previous success in a prestigious education prize.
The team behind Keele’s successful win in the 2009 Queen’s Anniversary Prize, now known as the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher Education, are one of just eight research teams to be selected for the exchange programme which has been designed to advance and celebrate transatlantic academic collaboration.
The year 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the founding patron of the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education, the highest honour awarded to universities and colleges in the United Kingdom; it is also the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in the USA.
In this historic year, the Royal Anniversary Trust has devised the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education: USA Exchange, to celebrate and commemorate both Her Majesty’s dedication to education and her tireless commitment to international diplomacy — in particular, the UK’s special relationship with the USA.
The Exchange will bring representatives from eight Prize-winning alumni institutions to Washington DC for a four-day programme in October 2026 to meet with selected US academics who work in similar fields. It is designed to provide opportunities for new transatlantic collaborations and partnerships between UK and US universities and colleges that will have a beneficial legacy in the long term.
Keele University was awarded a Prize in 2009 for its pioneering early intervention and primary care in the management of chronic pain, particularly back pain and arthritis. The United States is a global leader in technological innovation, including AI and Virtual Reality, and this is what they plan to explore during the Exchange.
Professor Melanie Holden, who was involved in the research that received the award in 2009, said: “This exchange is an exciting opportunity to develop new digital approaches to improve access to high-quality care for people living with osteoarthritis.”
Professor Kevin Shakesheff, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University, added: “Congratulations to Professor Holden and her team for this international recognition. Keele is committed to long-term research challenges that make major societal impacts. We are grateful to the Royal Anniversary Trust and look forward to the USA collaboration work.”
The eight UK universities and colleges were selected by a panel of eminent judges including representatives from the Trust’s Higher and Further Education Panels.
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Royal Anniversary Trust said: “The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education: USA Exchange is a landmark initiative, launched in a year of historical significance on both sides of the Atlantic. Honouring Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring legacy in education and diplomacy, the programme brings together the very best of UK academic excellence with leading minds in the United States. By convening Prize-winning alumni institutions in Washington DC, the Exchange creates an unparalleled platform for forging ambitious transatlantic partnerships with a lasting global impact.”
