Speech and language therapist awarded first NIHR Doctoral Fellowship in motor neurone disease research
By: Communications
Kirsty Harrison, Associate Professor in Speech and Language Therapy at UEA, has been awarded the first Doctoral Fellowship by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research), in partnership with the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association.
The award comes from the NIHR’s Charity Partnership Fellowship with the MND Association and not only supports future leaders in applied health and social care research, but also fosters collaboration with the MND community.
Kirsty, whose journey into MND research began when she witnessed the profound challenges faced by people living with the disease as a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapist working in the community, will begin the three-year Fellowship in January. Her research will focus on improving MND care by co-developing a self-management intervention for eating, drinking, and swallowing for people who are affected by the disease.
Thrilled to be awarded this first of its kind fellowship, she said: “I hope that this research will spark an avalanche of enquiry into the challenges of eating, drinking and swallowing in motor neurone disease.”
MND is a neurodegenerative disease, characterised by loss of motor neurone function, that affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time, killing a third of people within a year. Most individuals with MND also experience swallowing difficulties.
Kirsty’s project will aim to pave the way for an accessible, practical resource that people living with MND, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals can rely on for support: “This research is about making eating, drinking, and swallowing easier, safer, and more enjoyable while giving people more control over these aspects of their lives.”
Find out more about Kirsty's Fellowship on the NIHR website.
During her Fellowship, Kirsty will work with people living with MND, healthcare professionals, in addition to NIHR and the MND Association; this will ensure her work reflects the lived experiences of those it aims to support.
Prof Waljit Dhillo, Dean of NIHR Academy, said:
“I’m excited to welcome Kirsty as the first researcher funded under this new partnership with the MND Association. We are committed to helping health and social care researchers tackle the complex challenges and this award will help improve the lives of everyone impacted by MND.”
Dr Sophie Nyberg, Research Programmes and Partnerships Manager at the MND Association, added:
“This fellowship also adds a new dimension to the MND Association portfolio and is the first health and social care research fellowship we have offered. By attracting, retaining and developing health and social care professionals, we’re aiming to discover new ways to help people diagnosed with this devastating disease.”
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