A UCH trainee who organised a successful event to engage patients in research has won an award for leadership in research.
Dr Mark Samaan, a final year Specialist Registrar in gastroenterology, won the Royal College of Physicians/NIHR Clinical Research Network Award for leadership in research in the trainee category.
Pictured: Dr Samaan at the awards ceremony with the President of the RCP, Dr Andrew Goddard.
He received the award after setting up and running an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patient involvement research day at the UCLH Education Centre to coincide with World IBD Day in May.
The conference, run with the help of a team of gastroenterologists, surgeons and nurses, was attended by 80 patients and 30 researchers from across the country. It updated patients on existing research in IBD and gave patients the opportunity to shape current and future clinical trials.
The RCP/NIHR CRN award recognises outstanding contributions of NHS consultants and trainees who are active in research. A key requirement is for applicants to show how they engaged with patients in the course of their research activities.
Dr Samaan said: “I’m delighted to receive this award, and to be recognised for the patient involvement day. Research studies should incorporate the views of patients to ensure they are patient-centred and acceptable to patients.”
“Colleagues and I are planning to run the conference again next year to once again mark World IBD Day. We are also talking with a number of international collaborators to help set up patient and public involvement conferences in other countries. If anyone is interested in collaborating then please get in touch!”
Dr Samaan is on Twitter @SamaanMark.
Search for the IBD patient research day hashtag on Twitter: #IBDPRD
