Seven researchers receive prestigious NIHR Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award 

Over £2 million has been granted to seven exceptional researchers in the North East to support their development as future clinical academic leaders. 

The Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award (SCPRA) from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) supports senior clinicians and practitioners from health and care professions who are at post-doctoral level. 

The NIHR SCPRA award provides two to five years of funding for individuals to engage in research activities to develop their research career. It supports senior clinicians and practitioners who have previously obtained a PhD/MD and provides between 20 and 50 percent protected time within their current roles to engage in research activities, develop their collaborations and prepare for their next step as clinical and practitioner academic leaders. 

Newcastle Health Research Partnership 

The seven SCPRA awardees span three of Newcastle Health Research Partnership (NHRP) partner organisations: Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle University and Northumbria University. 

NHRP welcomed Northumbria University as an official partner in April 2025. Dr Joanne Atkinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Northumbria University, said “We are incredibly proud to see colleagues from Northumbria University among the recipients of this prestigious NIHR award. This recognition reflects the growing strength of our research in health and social care, and the importance of our partnership with NHRP. These awards will empower our researchers to lead impactful, person-centred studies that will improve care and outcomes for communities locally and nationally.” 

All awardees benefited from support from NHRP Academy throughout their application process. NHRP Academy provides bespoke training and support for health and care researchers looking to advance their academic careers, this includes intelligence and advice on career opportunities as well as support with external applications for fellowships and training awards. The NIHR SCPRA plays a key role in supporting the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which highlights the importance of growing the research workforce across clinical and non-clinical roles and making academic careers more accessible, with NHRP Academy already making tangible progress towards these goals.

Prof Niina Kolehmainen, Deputy Director of Newcastle Health Research Partnership Academy, said, “We are thrilled to see seven outstanding researchers from across our partner organisations receive this highly competitive NIHR award. The NIHR SCPRA provides transformative support for senior clinicians and practitioners to build their next-stage research and careers, aligning also to the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for increasing research workforce. At the NHRP Academy, we’re proud to play a role in helping these talented individuals take the next step in their leadership journey.” 

Find out about each of the awardees and their research: 

Dr Allison Farnworth, Associate Professor of Maternal and Family Health (Northumbria University) 

Over the course of the award Dr Farnworth will be working with colleagues around the region, and across the world, to explore better ways to use data to support improvements in safe, effective and person-centred reproductive health care/research.  This will include working with women and families, clinical colleagues, policy makers, and researchers.  The award of a NIHR SCPRA will enable Dr Farnworth the dedicated time to integrate her research portfolio with her clinical work, and build upon previous work in this field. 

Dr Allison Farnworth

Mr Chris Cowie, Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon (Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer (Newcastle University) 

Mr Cowie’s research is focused on improving the quality of life in patients who suffer epilepsy associated with glioma – a type of brain tumour. The NIHR SCPRA will allow him to continue his studies into the use of advanced imaging and intraoperative technologies in surgery to remove gliomas, with the ultimate goal of improving the post-operative seizure burden in these patients. 

Dr Chris Cowie

Dr Chris Lovegrove, Clinical Research Fellow (NIHR Newcastle PSRC) and Honorary Consultant Occupational Therapist (Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust) 

Dr Lovegrove’s research is focused on helping people with Parkinson’s live well with anxiety.  His clinical speciality is in neurology, and he currently leads the inpatient Neurosciences occupational therapy team. The NIHR SCPRA will help him continue his work in improving the lives of people living with Parkinson’s, and he aims to undertake a large national randomised controlled trial in the future to test a co-produced intervention for living well with anxiety and Parkinson’s. 

Dr Chris Lovegrove

Dr Heather Waldron, Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist (Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust) 

Dr Waldron is planning to carry out research looking at ways of helping people with global aphasia (a communication disability, common after stroke, which causes severe impairments in all areas of language comprehension and expression) to communicate with healthcare professionals and participate in multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation. The NIHR SCPRA will allow her to develop the skills and experience needed to design an intervention which will aim to improve rehabilitation outcomes and quality of life for people with global aphasia and their carers.   

Dr Heather Waldron

Dr Kate Hackett, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy (Northumbria University) and Honorary Consultant Occupational Therapist (Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) 

Dr Hackett has led research to improve care and support for self-management in people living with long-term conditions and fatigue. This NIHR SCPRA provides a valuable opportunity to build on this work. It will enable Dr Hackett to develop a new research programme exploring how nature-based community activities can support wellbeing in people with fatigue, in collaboration with NHS and third-sector partners, while also undertaking targeted training to support this next phase of her research. 

Dr Kate Hackett

Dr Lucy Carter, Consultant Rheumatologist (Newcastle Hospital upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust) and Honorary Lecturer (Newcastle University’s Translational and Clinical Research Institute) 

In establishing a new disease focus within translational rheumatology, Dr Carter is serving the needs of patients with a spectrum of rare autoimmune connective tissue diseases. She draws together extensive and geographically dispersed research experience and adds a new dynamic to the existing excellence in translational and experimental medicine here in Newcastle. Dr Carter is building compelling research themes addressing priority areas around disease onset, symptom burden and treatment response. With the protected time secured by the NIHR SCPRA, she will be well positioned to secure major onward funding and accelerate her research trajectory. 

Dr Lucy Carter

Dr Morag Andrew, Clinical Academic Institute of Population Health Sciences (Newcastle University) 

Dr Andrew’s research focuses on nutrition and eating and drinking difficulties in children and young people with neurodisability, and includes research on supporting healthier school food choices for pupils attending specialist schools. This work aims to improve the long term health and well-being of specialist school pupils, who often have multiple health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Over the course of this award, Dr Andrew will develop the skills and experience required to develop a place-based specialist school food intervention to improve health and well-being outcomes. Extension of a specialist school food intervention into local communities will be explored through partnerships across Health, Education, Social Care and third sector organisations. 

Dr Morag Andrew

The NIHR SCPRA is a funding scheme which is due to run annually over the next five years to support post-doctoral clinicians and practitioners especially from under-represented areas and/or disciplines. If you would like to discuss this or a similar career development opportunity, please contact nhrp.academy@newcastle.ac.uk.