Following a recent article by Dr Eleanor Chatburn on engaging with research as a clinician, two allied health professionals (AHPs) working at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) have provided an overview of their own research journeys to-date.

Ask an AHP!

We all know allied health professionals (AHPs) play a vital role in the healthcare system. Your unique perspectives and expertise can also greatly contribute to advancing mental health research, particularly with respect to integrating physical and psychological health.

If you’re an AHP interested in getting involved with mental health research, hopefully this Q&A blog post offers valuable advice to help you on your way.

Question (and answer) time

Jo Smith 

Consultant Dietitian and part-time PhD student at Teesside University

How did you get started in research/what inspired you?

I really enjoyed doing live research for my undergraduate dissertation, and 11 years after qualifying I undertook a part-time masters in evidence-based practice which I really enjoyed. It cemented my passion for research, and I was keen to pursue a career in the field. However, it was another 11 years before an opportunity to apply for a dietetic research post came up. My main inspiration was working with service users who were struggling to manage their weight. I could see that their environment and some of their medications were making this a challenge, and I really wanted to identify new ways we could improve people’s experience of weight management services. That was my main research focus during my MSc and in the early stage of my research role.

“I enjoy finding new ways to engage people with SMI in research”

 

What do you enjoy about research?

I am a very creative person, so I particularly enjoy coming up with new ideas for research and thinking of creative ways to overcome the many challenges we face in research. My main research is with people who have severe mental illness (SMI), so I enjoy finding new ways to engage people with SMI in research and having the opportunity to “think outside of the box”. My current research focus is on food insecurity, and I am proud that our research is helping communities to develop solutions that will support people with the current cost of living crisis.

What training and support have you found most valuable in your career?

Aside from my masters, I have undertaken several free training courses available online. I recently did a “writing for the sciences” course with Stanford University in the US. and that has really helped with my academic writing. I feel very lucky to have an incredible academic support team – Professor Amelia Lake and Dr Emma L. Giles (Teesside University) and Dr Scott Teasdale who is an academic dietitian from the University of New South Wales in Australia. They have been an incredible support with my research journey and I have learned so much from them. I am also lucky that my NHS Trust (Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust) invested in my research role, allowing me to continue in a research career after my two-year secondment ended.

What people/organisations did you get in touch with to help you?

In the early days of my research role, I reached out to anyone who would listen to me!  This included the NIHR Clinical Research Network for the North East and North Cumbria; the Research Design Service for the North East and North Cumbria; the British Dietetic Association; the NIHR Research Champions; the Council for Allied Health Professionals Research in the North East, any many more.

What are your top 3 tips for somebody starting out in research?

1. Have courage. You don’t need to be a highly academic individual to pursue an academic career. I come from a background in performing arts! Creativity and passion are the most important skills.
2. Seek out people who can support your journey – find academics or clinicians you can work with to develop new research ideas. Collaboration is definitely key to a successful research career.
3. Engage with local support networks – there is a wealth of experience and knowledge in our area. If you are an allied health professional (AHP), there is an AHP research and innovation subgroup that meets monthly and anyone can join. Likewise, the Council for AHP Research is a great support. Nurses also have research champions who can signpost you to local support.

Philip Hodgson

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist (Adult Mental Health) and part-time PhD Student at York St John University

How did you get started in research/what inspired you?

I often describe myself as ‘the strange person who was interested in research whilst at University’. Whilst this is true, and I took opportunities to get involved in research at an early stage, I think my interest stems from an inclination to ask “Why?”. Which is something I have always done throughout my life, however within physiotherapy the answer was often much less clear than expected. On qualifying, I began working clinically and continued this interest with the aim of helping to build knowledge and find answers. During this time, I have been fortunate enough to meet a number of inspiring clinical academics who combine their research and clinical roles to fill gaps in order to initiate meaningful changes within healthcare services. I hope to be able to emulate this within my own work in the future.

“the most valuable piece of training I have completed so far would be the Master’s in Clinical Research”

What do you enjoy about research?

My reason for working in healthcare comes from a desire to help people. I enjoy the fact that the research I am involved with is being completed with a view to improving current healthcare services, ultimately for the benefit of people accessing those services. I hope that through this research I am able to positively influence the care of more people than I would otherwise be able to help through direct clinical practice.

I really enjoy the diverse nature of my research, and the varied projects I have been able to work on so far. Other enjoyable aspects include the need for innovative thinking and an ability to help others who are also interested in research progress on their own journeys.

What training and support have you found most valuable in your career?

I am hugely grateful for the training and support I have had to-date from my clinical managers, academic supervisors and mentors, and not forgetting my family. Without this support I would not have been able to complete an NIHR internship, NIHR pre-doctoral clinical academic fellowship (PCAF), or begin my PhD. Probably the most valuable piece of training I have completed so far would be the Master’s in Clinical Research (MClin Res) I undertook as part of the PCAF award.

What people/organisations did you get in touch with to help you?

This journey began after contacting one of my previous university lecturers. He recommended that I contact various academics and consider applying for the NIHR PCAF award. These contacts and positive responses encouraged me to get in touch with other individuals and organisations to seek support and advice at each stage of my development so far. This ‘Shy bairns get nowt’ philosophy has served me well so far and is something I have discussed in my Mental Health Research Career Case Study. Given the support I’ve had from others, I am always happy for people to contact me if they feel I may be able to help with their development.

What are your top 3 tips for somebody starting out in research?

1. Reach out – what’s the worst that can happen?
2. Be persistent yet flexible with your objectives.
3. Enjoy the ride!

We hope that others find these Q&A’s useful and that this helps to promote mental health research being undertaken by various AHP’s at different stages of their own research journeys.