Navigating clinical workload

“The biggest thing for me is the passion to make a difference about a subject that sparks your curiosity.”

Dr Zoe Edwards

Clinical Research Lead/Advanced Clinical Practitioner and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Bradford.

“Your veterinary degree is a passport. It can take you into so many different careers and you don’t have to choose just one.”

Hayley Williamson

Clinical Assistant Professor in Small and Exotic Animal Practice at the University of Nottingham.

“Seeing a problem in practice is the best way to identify meaningful research questions.”

Professor Lucy Chappell

Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care.

“Even a small step into research can enhance your clinical practice and contribute something unique to the field.”

Dr Pippa Bailey

Consultant Senior Lecturer in Renal Medicine, Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellow and Honorary Consultant Nephrologist.

“Your unique skills, whether coding, design, or statistics, can make a real difference in research. You don’t have to fit one mold to succeed.”

Dr Elizabeth Li

Surgical Registrar, NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow in Surgical Devices and Innovation and Chair of the West Midlands Research Collaborative.

“There’s something rewarding about seeing research you’ve created adopted into guidelines or clinical practice and translated into patient benefit.”

Mr James Glasbey

NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow in Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that you either work in industry or academia. I’ve learned you can move between them if you understand the priorities and adapt.”

Professor Duncan Richards

Professor of Clinical Therapeutics at the University of Oxford, Director of the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s Musculoskeletal Co-theme Lead.

“The joint clinical and academic route is an enormous advantage. The clinical work is structured, whereas research is free-floating, giving you something continuously moving forward.”

Professor Andrew Grace

Consultant Cardiologist at Royal Papworth Hospital and Honorary Professor of Experimental Cardiology at the University of Cambridge.

“Clinical academia can take longer to reach milestones. Be prepared, embrace it and it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Dr Natalie Blencowe

Consultant Upper GI Surgeon at the University Hospital Bristol, MRC Clinician Scientist and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Trials at the University of Bristol.

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“When you’re doing something hard, it’s easier if you really love it. Passion carries you through the tough times in clinical academia.”

Dr Jane Freeman

Associate Professor in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leeds and Honorary Clinical Scientist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

“Academic GP work lets me make a difference not just for individual patients, but on a bigger scale beyond my own consulting room.”

Dr Jess Watson

GP and NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer.

“Believe in yourself, persevere and you may surprise yourself with what you can achieve.”

Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald

Professor of Cancer Prevention at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Early Cancer Institute.

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