Two Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) researchers have been named among the latest cohort of National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigators.
Paul Leeson, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, and Najib Rahman, Professor of Respiratory Medicine, received the award, which recognises “the most prominent and prestigious researchers of applied health and social care”.
Professor Leeson, Head of Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, co-leads an Oxford BRC sub-theme aiming to tackle maternal cardiovascular risk.
Professor Rahman, Director of the Oxford Respiratory Trials Unit in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, leads a BRC sub-theme addressing pleural diseases.
They were among seven Oxford academics appointed as Senior Investigators; these included Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, Head of the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, who is a member of the Oxford BRC’s Steering Committee; and Professor Rachel Upthegrove, Director of the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre.
Each year, the NIHR appoints a new cohort of Senior Investigators to serve a four-year term. They receive funding to support their research leadership activities, as well as acting as mentors and role models for early-career researchers and helping to develop research capacity and talent in underrepresented groups, specialities and geographic areas.
Professor Helen McShane, Director of the Oxford BRC, said: “I’m delighted for Paul and Najib and would like to congratulate them on their awards. To qualify for this honour, you are required to have demonstrated that you have produced a great deal of high-quality research that benefits patients and contributes to improvements in healthcare, as well as having a strong track record of senior NIHR leadership.”
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.