NIHR Oxford BRC researcher Professor Ronjon Chakraverty has received a prestigious national research award.
Professor Chakraverty, Professor of Haematology in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine and Oxford BRC Co-theme Lead for Gene and Cell Therapy, was named a National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator.
The NIHR says Senior Investigators are “among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR and the most outstanding leaders of people-based research within the NIHR research community”.
Professor Helen McShane, Director of the Oxford BRC, said: “This is an incredibly competitive award which recognises not only the highest quality patient-centred translational research but also outstanding leadership. I congratulate Ronjon for receiving this prestigious award. He should be very proud of this achievement.”
Another researcher with links to the Oxford BRC was reappointed as Senior Investigator: Marian Knight, Professor of Maternal and Child Population Health at the Nuffield Department of Population Health. Until recently, Professor Knight was Co-theme Lead in the BRC’s Cardiovascular Theme.
NIHR Senior Investigator status is awarded to researchers on the basis of the quality and volume of internationally excellent research, its relevance to patients and the public, and its impact on improvements in healthcare and public health. Other criteria include research leadership, engagement with patients and the public and with healthcare policymakers.
They receive £20,000 per year of appointment to fund activities that support their research.
They hold their award for no more than two terms, to ensure turnover and to create opportunities for new researchers to participate in NIHR at senior level. The college of Senior Investigators is maintained at around 200 researchers in total.
On completion of a second successful term, Senior Investigators are awarded the title Senior Investigator Emeritus, which they hold as long as they are in substantive employment in England.
Senior Investigators are members of the NIHR Academy, and as such, they play an important role in mentoring, training and developing the careers of other researchers.