CLAHRC CAHPR Post-Doctoral Fellowship Project
Post-Doctoral Fellowships Awarded
The post-doctoral fellowships are an exciting new joint initiative between the NIHR Collaboration and Applied Health Research and Care for Yorkshire and Humber (NIHR CLAHRC YH) and Council for Allied Health Professions Research (CAHPR). They were developed because we are aware that clinical academic career pathways for AHPs are at an early stage, and practitioners who have this ambition experience ‘pinch points’ in their career. They need some space to plan next steps. These post-doctoral fellowships provide this space through funding protected time, and providing mentorship, for fellows to develop funding applications in order to create opportunities for next steps.
We are delighted to announce that we were able to appoint two post-doctoral research fellows in Yorkshire and Humber. Dr Nicki Barker, a physiotherapist at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, and Dr Lizzie Taylor Buck, an art therapist at ScHARR.
Dr Nicki Barker
I am an Advanced Paediatric Respiratory Physiotherapist and Clinical Research Fellow based at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, recognised internationally as a research and teaching specialist in paediatric dysfunctional breathing and complex breathlessness. I have conducted, published and presented research since 2009 including my PhD which I completed in 2014.
Being awarded a CLAHRC/CAHPR fellowship provides me with a fantastic opportunity. I have many ideas for research both within and outside of dysfunctional breathing and plan to use the fellowship, amongst other things, to develop a cohesive research strategy, identify and build a comprehensive network to support my research and career goals and use my new skills and experience to help organisations and individuals increase the prevalence, visibility and impact of AHP research.
Having protected time to pursue a well thought through plan, which is aligned to immediate research requirements and longer-term career goals, is exciting, and working with CLAHRC/CAHPR partnership will allow me to access a wider base of learning, sharing, networking, collaboration, advice and support. It provides an essential stepping stone to increased research knowledge and improved patient outcomes and is a great opportunity available to me to enhance my future career development.
Read Nicki’s reflection of her fellowship here
Dr Lizzie Taylor-Buck
I am an HCPC registered art therapist with a background in child and adolescent mental health. In 2009 I was awarded an NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship which I completed at the University of Sheffield.
My research focused on an approach to art therapy that involves parents and carers directly in the art therapy sessions, and it culminated in the production of an online manual for dyadic art therapy.
Since completing my PhD I have maintained a mix of clinical and academic work. Clinically, I work in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) as a therapist and supervisor and I also deliver specialist training for the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) in dyadic art therapy. As a researcher, I am working as part of a team at the University of Sheffield who have developed a mental health specific patient reported outcome measure that is now being implemented in mental health services across the country.
I hope that the CLAHRC/CAHPR fellowship will support me to develop a post-doctoral fellowship application for further independent research. It will also enable me to strengthen partnerships and collaborations with CLAHRC themes, and build links with other AHPs across the region.