Medway conference points way forward on health research collaboration

Health research collaboration was top of the agenda as the University hosted a major conference featuring academics and clinicians at its Medway campus on 28 June.

Organised by the University's KentHealth agency and co-sponsored by Canterbury Christ Church University and the NIHR Comprehensive Local Research Network, the event featured a keynote address from Dr Janet Wisely, Chief Executive of the Health Research Authority and Director of the National Research Ethics Service.

Other external speakers at the event, which attracted more than 200 delegates, were Dr Sheila Harvey of INARC, the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre, and Karina Griffiths, Study Start-up Manager at ICON.

Delegates were also able to choose from four parallel sessions of talks in which 28 speakers from local universities or NHS Trusts highlighted research successes. Standing out among these was an Athena Swan event to promote the role of women researchers in science, engineering and technology.

Professor Dame Julia M Goodfellow, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent, welcomed delegates and said that KentHealth would help provide a focus for a higher profile for clinical research in the region.

Professor Peter Jeffries, Director of KentHealth, said: 'This conference helped show that we have real strengths in Kent and Medway in health research collaboration across institutes.

'There has been a step-change in research activity across the region in the past two years, although there is still room for improvement. KentHealth will continue to work pro-actively in driving the research agenda forward.'

KentHealth was launched at the University in 2011 to help co-ordinate all health-related activities. It also organises regular events aimed at increasing collaboration between various agencies working in health and social care.

Contact: pressoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 5:11pm 2 July 2012