Prestigious Fellowships awarded to local researchers
Monday March 1, 2021
Colette Kirk and Simon Hackett have both been awarded prestigious fellowships to continue their work improving the health of the population.
Congratulations to Colette Kirk and Simon Hackett who have both secured HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Senior Clinical Lectureship Fellowships.
The awards will fund their work improving the health of local people for the next 5 years.
Colette is a Senior Dietician with the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her research investigates the effects of nutritional treatment for people with intestinal failure. A condition that stops the body’s intestine from absorbing nutrients from food and drink. Her research focus is on what other health effects this treatment may have and how it impacts on a person’s quality of life.
Colette said: “I am beyond delighted to have been awarded this Fellowship. Getting to this point has definitely been a journey with many ups and downs but hard work and determination pay off. My research focuses on the determinants of quality of life impairment in patients with intestinal failure. I will develop a sound theoretical basis for future post-doctoral intervention studies aimed at improving clinical outcomes and therefore the quality of life of patients. I couldn’t have got to this point without the amazing support of my patients, clinical team, mentors and supervisors.”
Dr Simon Hackett is Consultant Arts Psychotherapist at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Mental Health at the Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University.
Dr Hackett’s research includes addressing inequalities that people experience when accessing mental health treatment. It is recognised that there can be a number of barriers especially for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, cognitive and communication difficulties, children and young people, people who have experienced adverse events, and those with combined physical and mental health needs.
Simon told us: “As an Allied Health Professional I am really delighted to be able to progress in my clinical-academic career through this senior fellowship. I am so grateful for all the support I have had from service users and my clinical and academic colleagues to get to this point.”
The fellowships are awarded by Health Education England (HEE) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). They are designed for health and social care professionals who wish to develop careers that combine research and healthcare. They provide research training and development as a research leader with continued practice and professional development.