PhD student wins Researcher of the Year award

Published: 22 April 2022

Paul standing second from the left.

Congratulations to PhD student Paul McLaughlin who was recently awarded the British Society of Haematology/NIHR Allied Health Professional Researcher of the Year award. Paul, who is supervised by Professor Michael Hurley, received the award in recognition of both his research and the environment he has helped create for NHS colleagues. 

Paul says, “I am delighted to receive this award and humbled to be recognised for my work which I see as showing the value of clinical and academic roles in healthcare. I am particularly thankful to the British Society of Haematology for recognising the multi-professional nature of clinical and academic work in these awards.  

“The society offers three awards each year – one to a Consultant Haematologist, one to a haematology trainee and one to an Allied Health Professional/Nurse. I was successful in the latter - I am a clinical specialist physiotherapist working at the Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia centre in the Royal Free Hospital as well as a PhD student at St George’s. 

“My PhD fellowship has been focussed on the development and evaluation of a novel telerehabilitation intervention for pain management in people with severe haemophilia. The approach to this body of work has been to include the views of people with lived experience of painful haemophilic arthritis to develop a more relevant and meaningful intervention. The award commended my research work as well as my role in creating a supportive research environment for my NHS colleagues.  

“Research support and pathways in clinical roles are often underdeveloped or not available for many Allied Health Professionals/nurses. Awards like the one provided by the Society of Haematology help to highlight the positive impact that can be made if such opportunities are embedded within healthcare positions.”