Six Imperial researchers awarded leading health honours

Six Imperial researchers have been appointed to prestigious research positions by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).

They have been named as NIHR Senior Investigators – positions given to those who are deemed to be the most outstanding leaders of patient and people-based research within the NIHR faculty. They provide research leadership to the NIHR faculty, promoting clinical and applied research in health and social care. They also act as a key source of advice to the Department of Health and Social Care’s Chief Scientific Adviser.

Research leadership

Professors Waljit Dhillo from the Dept of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, and Iain McNeish from the Dept of Surgery and Cancer, and Professor Azeem Majeed, from the School of Public Health, have been newly appointed as NIHR Senior Investigators. The trio are among only 31 researchers newly appointed to these positions.

They are joined by Professor Paul Matthews, Head of the Department of Brain Sciences, who has been reappointed as a senior investigator.

Professor the Lord Ara Darzi of Denham, Department of Surgery and Cancer, and Professor Jane Apperley, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, have also been appointed emeritus senior investigators.  These positions are awarded to researchers who have already completed two terms as a senior investigator.

A senior investigator’s term lasts four years. The new awards bring the total number of Imperial researchers who are NIHR senior investigators or emeritus senior investigators to 30.

Patient care

Professor Jonathan Weber, Director of Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC), said:

“I would like to congratulate the six Imperial researchers on their prestigious appointments by the NIHR.  They have each demonstrated research excellence and leadership in their fields and I am delighted that they have been recognised in this way.  Patient centred healthcare research is vital for us to produce new treatments and improve the health outcomes of our population. This has been illustrated clearly over the last year as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact.   I am confident that all our NIHR Senior Investigators will continue to make significant contributions and advancements to their field.”

Imperial’s senior investigators have been awarded £20,000 worth of funding per year to support their research at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust hospitals.

Senior investigators also contribute to the work of Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, a partnership between Imperial College London, the Institute of Cancer Research, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Chelsea and Westminister Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

It aims to transform healthcare by turning scientific discoveries into medical advances to benefit local, national and global populations in as fast a timeframe as possible.