Two consultants from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have been awarded prestigious national research leadership prizes.
Dr Louise Savic, a Consultant in Anaesthesia, has been awarded one of 20 NIHR20 Rising Research Leaders prizes. Dr Caroline Thomas is also a Consultant in Anaesthesia and has been awarded one of 20 NIHR20 Research Delivery Leaders prizes. As prize winners, they will receive a £10,000 professional development award, paid to Leeds Teaching Hospitals, alongside access to tailored leadership and development opportunities.
The NIHR is a national funding body awarding grants for research into health and social care. The Research Leaders Prizes were developed as part of the organisation’s 20-year anniversary celebrations and aim to recognise exceptional research leadership, inclusion and impact.
Dr Savic has made an outstanding contribution to health and care research with her work focussing on improving the safety and effectiveness of care for people affected by drug allergies. This is an issue affecting an estimated nine million people across the UK. She is also part of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Leeds, an international centre of excellence in early translational medical research. Recently completing a fellowship with the BRC, she now supports other researchers as an emerging research capacity development lead.
She has developed practical, evidence-based solutions that can be used in the NHS including research showing that non-specialists can safely remove incorrect penicillin allergy labels. This work is helping to shape national policy and contributes to the UK’s long-term allergy strategy.
Dr Savic has also led major improvements for patients who experience life-threatening allergy during surgery. She chairs the first UK multidisciplinary network of specialists involved in the care of these patients, and much of her research is around the diagnosis and prevention of such reactions. She helped to build a high-performing peri-operative research team in the Trust which recruits thousands of patients into NIHR studies. Through training, mentorship, and national collaboration, she is helping grow research capability across clinical teams while actively encouraging patients to take part in research.
Dr Louise Savic said: “I am thrilled to receive this award and grateful to the NIHR for its sustained commitment to supporting research and research leadership. The NIHR has been fundamental to my research journey, providing the infrastructure, partnerships and opportunities needed to translate research into improvements in patient care.
“I am particularly pleased that research into drug allergy is being recognised in this way, as this is a public health issue affecting millions of people in the UK and impacting every area of healthcare. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues and patients to improve the diagnosis, prevention and management of drug allergies, translating research into meaningful improvements in care and outcomes.”
Dr Thomas is a clinician and nationally recognised leader in perioperative research with a focus on improving patient outcomes and access to research. She is currently leading an NIHR-funded trial on perioperative analgesia and is also undertaking a part-time PhD on the impact of socio-economic deprivation for patients receiving care at the Trust.
She won the NIHR20 Research Delivery Leader prize for her work to promote equitable access to research for both patients and staff, and improving capacity for research delivery across our region. Her work resulted in the recruitment of over 21,000 patients for clinical studies by 1,500 local investigators and Principal Investigators at over 200 sites across the UK.
Dr Caroline Thomas said: “I am absolutely delighted to receive this award. Recognition like this is always a surprise, especially so in this case given the very competitive selection process. Over the past 20 years, the NIHR has transformed the delivery of healthcare research, and I am very grateful to have been able to play a part in this.
“Since 2021, our dedicated anaesthesia research delivery team has become well-established and has recruited over 4,000 patients to more than 17 clinical studies. This has significantly strengthened local research capacity and enables opportunities for staff development and training in research.”
James Frith, Health Innovation Minister, said: “Patients benefit most when our world-leading research delivers the latest innovations to those who need them, when they need them. That’s why we’re recognising 40 research leaders across England for their life-changing work transforming the care patients receive. This is our 10-Year Health Plan in action, bringing together the brilliance of British science with the power of our NHS.”
The award reflects NIHR’s commitment to supporting talented leaders across the full breadth of health and care research careers, improving outcomes for patients, tackling inequalities and driving economic growth across the country.
Winners will receive their prizes at an awards ceremony at the NIHR Academy Members Conference in Leeds on 6 October.