July’s BHP People awards have been awarded to Pardeep Janjua, Research Data and Systems Officer at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals (SWB) and Carlos Chan, Research Development Coordinator at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH).

Our reward and recognition scheme is designed to spotlight our colleagues who play a vital role in the success of research studies and clinical trials, and whose work is integral to groundbreaking scientific endeavours.

Pardeep was nominated by SWB’s Head of Research & Development Kelly Hard, who said: “Over the last two years Pardeep has worked tirelessly to provide robust quality datasets across the organisation that can be utilised for all areas of research. He has co-designed these reports with the needs of clinicians, researchers and leaders in mind, which has enabled better oversight of all elements resulting in increased awareness, understanding and ultimately, better outcomes.

“Pardeep has presented this work at two international conferences and it has also earnt him an internal Trust award. He has been upscaling this work across the Black Country and is now in discussions to extend beyond.

“These data sets and report not only aid in decision making for individual projects and researchers but have enabled us to baseline and benchmark departments to enable new initiatives.”

We met with Pardeep to find out a little more about his journey from pharmacy to data management, and the challenges and opportunities of scaling his work from SWB across the region more widely. Read his story here: “BHP People – the ultimate goal is to make research more accessible”.

Nominating Carlos, the ROH’s Head of Research, Audit and Development Gareth Stephens, said: “Carlos came to R&D at ROH after relocating his family from Hong Kong to the UK. He started with us in a Band 2 administrative role; however, his project management and IT skills were very quickly apparent. These skills have seen him successfully climb the ladder within R&D, initially as a Data Manager and now as a Research Development Coordinator, within our Governance team.

“Carlos has an unrivalled work ethic, diligence and attention to detail that makes him ideally suited to research. Furthermore, his courteous manner, ‘can-do’ attitude and positivity make him a popular and supportive member of staff. Carlos has significantly improved our data capture and analysis capabilities, especially concerning study set up times. As a result of his work, we are seeing our processes become more efficient and set-up times reducing. We have no doubts that Carlos will continue to develop within the coming years.”

We sat down with Carlos to find out a little more about his career journey to date, and how his work has helped enable faster, more efficient study set-ups and reporting. Read his story here: “BHP People – one team, one goal”.

By championing individuals including research nurses, statisticians, pharmacists and many others, BHP People also highlights the incredible diversity of careers in research and the essential contributions that these professionals make. As well as celebrating individual excellence, the initiative reflects the shared dedication of our diverse partner organisations to driving collaborative research.

Meet our previous winners

• Linda Everard, R&D Implementation and Performance Manager at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Dr Karen Crowdy, Director of Research Strategy and Operations at the Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment

Carlos Chan, Research Development Coordinator at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, is the Trust’s first recipient of the BHP People recognition award.

We spoke to Carlos about his rapid progression from administrator to integral member of the ROH’s growing research team.

Q: Can you briefly run us through your career so far and how you came to work at ROH?

CC: My career began at a multinational nutrition science company in Hong Kong, where I worked as a brand manager and was heavily involved in new product development and commercial research. When I relocated to the UK I was keen to pursue a career in research, as it aligned closely with my personal values – especially the goal of contributing to better health for future generations. That’s when I had the opportunity to join the ROH Research Team.

I initially started as a band 2 administrator, which gave me invaluable insight into how the Trust operates and allowed me to build strong relationships across departments. My curiosity and desire to contribute more deeply led to a promotion to Data Manager where, with the support of a fantastic team, we significantly improved study delivery – streamlining referrals and communication for the ICONIC osteosarcoma study and hitting recruitment targets for the RADICAL pain management trial. We also achieved the highest response rate in the West Midlands for the 2023 NIHR Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES).

I’m now working as a Research Development Coordinator, where I draw on my project management and liaison skills. Thanks to the collaborative culture and my earlier experience in delivery, we’ve streamlined processes and reduced setup times. It’s been a journey full of support and inclusion, and I’m excited for what’s ahead!

Q: In your current role, what are some of the tasks and duties you’re involved in most frequently?

CC: I’m responsible for coordinating research projects from the feasibility stage through to activation, and then managing amendments throughout the study’s life cycle.

I work closely with internal and external partners, including trial units, Principal Investigators, clinicians, research nurses, data managers, and pharmacy technicians. I also liaise with national bodies like the NIHR, HRA, and HSCNI to resolve governance queries.

My duties include performing local governance checks, securing cost approvals, managing risk assessments, and finalising contracts. This ensures that our site is ready and capable of opening each study.

Q: Have you experienced any particular challenges in your role, and how have you overcome them?

CC: Like any collaborative environment, we do encounter challenges – particularly when coordinating across departments or working through complex processes. When this happens, I always return to the principle of “one team, one goal.” I try to clearly identify our shared objective and assess what’s realistically achievable based on the resources available. We then openly discuss the pros and cons of different approaches. This collaborative decision-making ensures we move forward with the most effective solution, even if it’s not perfect for everyone involved.

Q: You’ve played a major role in improving data capture and reducing study set-up times – can you tell us more about the changes you introduced and the impact they’ve had?

CC: When I stepped into my current role, I noticed an opportunity to improve our study set-up tracking. I integrated our existing local governance processes into a custom-programmed Gantt chart which allows us to track every milestone and subtask, assign responsibilities, and monitor lead times. It has dramatically improved our visibility into each study’s progress. Additionally, we created a performance dashboard using PowerBI. This automation reduced the time required for reporting from several hours to just a few minutes. These tools have not only streamlined workflows but also enabled us to spot delays early and proactively address them – leading to faster, more efficient study setups.

Q: Can you tell us about some of the studies (past or present) that you’ve found particularly rewarding to be part of?

CC: One standout project is the ICONIC study, a UK-wide osteosarcoma research initiative which collects clinical and biological data to enhance our understanding of this rare cancer. As a surgical site without chemotherapy services, we had many referrals and patient transfers, which added complexity. Maintaining data integrity and a positive patient experience across sites was a challenge we tackled through strong collaboration with the trial unit and teams across the UK. The study is now at the end of recruitment, and I’m incredibly proud of our contribution.

More recently, we launched the FORENSIC trial, sponsored by the University of Oxford and led locally by Professor Adrian Gardner. It investigates whether lumbar fusion surgery is more effective than conservative care for persistent lower back pain. ROH was the first site to open and recruit for this trial, and I’m thrilled to see its early success.

Q: Looking ahead, what are your goals for your role in research development, and what areas of improvement or innovation are you most excited about?

CC: I hope to gain experience with a wider variety of studies, including device and pharmaceutical trials. One of the best things about working in research and development is the constant opportunity to learn and take on new challenges.

I also want to support the setup of more studies at ROH, enabling more clinicians and patients to engage in cutting-edge research that leads to better treatments and outcomes.

Above all, I hope every participant enjoys their research experience and feels encouraged to share it with others. By building a positive research culture, we can collectively advance healthcare and improve lives.

Linda Everard, R&D Implementation and Performance Manager at BSMHFT, is one of the is one of the inaugural recipients of the new BHP People Award.

We met with Linda to find out a little more about her journey from clinical psychology to research delivery, and how she is embedding a culture of research in BSMHFT.

Q: Can you briefly run us through your career so far and how you came to work at BSMHFT?

LE: I originally planned to go down the clinical psychology route after completing my undergraduate degree in psychology. I worked in assistant psychologist roles within learning disabilities, CAMHS, and early psychosis, and that’s how I first joined this trust, working half in research and half in a clinical role within psychosis services.

I absolutely loved the research element, and when my boss at the time asked if I wanted to get more involved, I thought, “Why not?” That led me to a research coordinator post in early intervention services, which then developed into programme management. I first managed the DHSC-funded National EDEN Study, and then the NIHR-funded Super EDEN programme in psychosis, which was a turning point for me. Seeing the bigger changes happening in services—sometimes without individuals or even staff realising—made me rethink my career path. I realised I wanted to stay in research rather than pursue clinical psychology.

From there, I moved into programme grant management, and when that project ended, a role came up in R&D managing the delivery team. I got the post in 2015, and now, as Implementation and Performance Manager, I oversee the delivery and governance teams within the R&D department. I absolutely love what I do. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact research can have on shaping services and improving care.

Q: What do you think is they key to successfully engaging service users and communities in mental health research?

LE: It can be challenging compared to primary care, where recruitment seems that little bit easier. The key is building strong relationships and trust – not just with service users, but also with our clinical teams who play such a crucial role in connecting us with the right populations.

A lot of our current efforts focus on outreach, particularly within harder to reach communities who perhaps haven’t been involved in any kind of research before. The trust runs engagement events across the patch, and we always make sure the R&D team has a stand and a visible presence at these, providing information and making connections. Transparency and openness are essential, and we actively create spaces for conversation, such as our Lived Experience Action Research (LEAR) Group. This group, made up of service users and carers with an interest in research, helps to promote participation across different settings. Their involvement is invaluable in strengthening engagement and ensuring research is accessible and meaningful to those who need it most.

Q: What role do you see clinical trials playing in advancing mental health care, and how can we ensure they are accessible to diverse groups?

LE: Clinical trials are essential for improving mental health care, but ensuring diverse participation is a challenge we need to address. Something I really want to take forward in the coming years is strengthening engagement with community leaders, whether that’s religious leaders or other trusted figures, because historically this is where we’ve fallen short.

We have an incredibly diverse population here in Birmingham and Solihull, yet many groups aren’t represented well in studies. Some trials, looking at psychosis and schizophrenia in particular, would really benefit from greater diversity and this would lead to more meaningful and applicable findings. To achieve this, we need to enhance our outreach efforts, both within communities and through stronger collaboration with clinical teams.

One positive shift has been the increasing diversity within our own workforce due to expanding our team. Our department is made up of passionate individuals from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and experiences, creating a rich blend of perspectives, skills and ideas. This in turn has allowed us to better understand and address the needs and perspectives of the different populations we serve and will be key to continuing to attract a broader group of participants into clinical research.

Q: Can you talk to us a little more about the research champions you are establishing – what will their role be and what impact do you expect them to have?

LE: We’re still in the early stages, but the goal is to establish two groups of research champions: staff and patients. We want to build a network of people with a genuine interest in research who can act as connectors on the ground. Staff research champions will bring together individuals from different teams to support studies, while patient champions will help recruit participants from various groups and communities.

It’s also about nurturing the researchers of the future. Many doctors coming through need to complete research but have very limited time. By involving them in the research champion programme, we can get them trained, give them a taste of research and recruiting, and show them firsthand how research impacts people’s lives. I think research can be seen as an ‘extra’ rather than an integral part of healthcare, and we want to change that.

Ultimately, we want to embed research into the culture of the trust so that it becomes part of everyday practice, and effectively “everyone’s business”, rather than something only the R&D department handles. There’s still a long way to go, but that’s what makes this job so exciting—there’s always more to be done to drive research forward and make it accessible to everyone.

Dr Karen Crowdy, Director of Research Strategy and Operations at the Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, is one of the inaugural recipients of the new BHP People Award.

We sat down with Karen to find out a little more about her career journey to date, and how vital cross-organisational collaboration is to research in Birmingham.

Q: Can you briefly run us through your career in research and how you came to work at Aston and within IHN?

KC:  I began my career in research with a PhD in Neurophysiology at Bristol University and afterwards, worked in several postdoc positions and first experienced the art of grant writing.. While I enjoyed the work, I realised that the traditional academic route wasn’t the right fit for me, so I started exploring other ways to apply my qualifications in science.

I transitioned into a role with the Natural Environment Research Council’s commercialisation team, which was quite a shift in scientific focus. There, I gained valuable experience in intellectual property licensing and spinout companies. Later, I moved to Birmingham and joined Aston University’s Business Partnership Unit as a Business Development Manager, where I focused on patents and spinouts across the university.

After maternity leave, I joined the newly established Research Support Office, bringing me back closer to research, specifically within the College of Health and Life Sciences. At the time, research support wasn’t widely recognised as a profession, but over 15 years, I’ve seen it evolve significantly, now with its own professional body, ARMA.

In 2019, Aston launched its university research institutes to enable strategic investment in research, and I joined the Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) as Research and Operations Manager. My role has since grown to Director, where I’ve focused on building partnerships with the Children’s Hospital, regional NHS partners, and universities internationally, including through BHP. It’s been an exciting journey, and I’ve never looked back!

Q: What do you think are the key factors in building successful partnerships between institutions?

KC: For me, successful partnerships require a blend of top-down strategy and bottom-up relationship-building—something Birmingham Health Partners does exceptionally well. Communication is key, particularly in connecting the right people to collaborate on research.

It’s also important to identify practical mechanisms to help people work together effectively. For example, clinicians in hospital settings often struggle to find the headspace for research amidst their busy schedules. One approach we’re finding very useful is bringing clinicians from the Children’s Hospital to the Institute, where they can work in a dedicated research environment. Being physically embedded in this setting not only enables closer connections with our own researchers, but allows us to support them with things like grant applications, making collaboration easier and more productive. It’s all about creating opportunities and removing barriers to build relationships.

Q: The initiatives you’ve led have had a significant impact on early career researchers (ECRs). What advice would you give to ECRs starting their journey in health and neurodevelopment research?

KC: I always say to ECRs, find your niche—something you’re truly passionate about. Research often extends beyond the typical nine-to-five, so it’s crucial to love what you do.

Don’t be afraid to network and engage with others, even those you might see as more senior, like professors. At the end of the day, they’re just people, and building those relationships is vital for your growth. Be proactive, put yourself out there, and take every opportunity to connect with others in your field.

Q: Finally, what excites you most about the future of the research you’re involved in?

KC: What excites me most is the growing partnership between IHN, Aston, and the Children’s Hospital. We’re working on several ongoing projects and preparing to apply for larger funding to expand these efforts. Supporting this growth through co-funded studentships and pump-priming projects is particularly exciting. Watching these relationships develop and seeing the collaboration strengthen is incredibly rewarding, and to know that eventually these projects will lead to positive outcomes for patients is a very exciting prospect.