A neurologist from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has won a clinical research investigator award for her exceptional contribution to stroke research.
Dr Kirsty Harkness, who has supported recruitment of hundreds of patients into stroke and dementia research studies over many years, received the esteemed accolade from the British and Irish Association of Stroke Physicians.
The award was given in recognition of the leading role she has played in improving future evidenced-based stroke care.
With a focus on strokes caused by bleeding on the brain, small vessel disease and vascular cognitive impairment, Dr Kirsty Harkness has led on recruitment to numerous National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio studies, enabling thousands of stroke patients to benefit from health and care research.
She has also played a pivotal role in developing stroke research in Sheffield, including as a key member of the Sheffield-led CognoStroke project which is investigating vascular cognitive impairment in stroke. Her expertise has also supported the development of CognoSpeak, a groundbreaking project led by neurologists and computer scientists from the University of Sheffield which is using artificial intelligence and speech technology to aid earlier detection of dementia.
Within her clinical role, she works as part of a wider team recruiting patients to trials looking at improving stroke diagnosis, investigation, underlying biological mechanisms and new treatments.
In addition, she supports the next generation of stroke researchers, supervising small masters projects, medical student-selected component (SSC) placements and audits, and has encouraged abstract submissions to support professional development of students, nurses and junior doctors.
Dr Kirsty Harkness, consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am delighted to win this award which is a fantastic acknowledgement of the huge strides Sheffield has made in bringing evidenced-based stroke care to the coal face. None of this would have been possible without the excellent infrastructure and collaborative relationships we have here in Sheffield between Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and the University of Sheffield. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues and team for all their support which has helped advance understanding of stroke and dementia care, benefiting patients in Sheffield and beyond.”
Kirsty’s work has been supported by a team of specialist stroke research nurses and administrators from the Sheffield Clinical Research and Innovation Office and the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre.
