Case study: Completing the Research Journey: Julie Mugarza, Research Delivery Manager

Earlier this week The Clinical Research Network;North West Coast launched our annual report, allowing us to reflect on the journey we have been on during the most challenging of years. A year which has highlighted the value of research and proved that patients and the public are at the heart of research. During our research journey, we have been sharing inspiring true-life stories from people across the UK who have been part of COVID studies. We spoke to Julie Mugarza, one of our Research Delivery Managers in Primary Care about her experience during this journey.

“I joined the NHS in 1983 as a student nurse progressing to a ward manager in medicine. There are many things looking back I feel proud of, but the last 12 months have provided me with an unprecedented feeling of this is our time and we can do this.

Research has always been part of my soul, with 22 years in research, starting as an investigator and research nurse in my early years and latterly joining the Network around 9 years ago.

In February 2020 life changed both professionally and personally. I have had the privilege of being involved in helping to deliver the Urgent Public Health portfolio studies as directed by the Chief Medical Officer. We hoped to answer; What is this disease? How do we identify it? How do we treat it? How might we prevent it?

The challenge to us from a network perspective has been, how do we deliver these key studies with our partner organisations? How do we drive excellence through collaboration in the face of such pressures?

It has been special time to be a part of the team, providing and supporting our specialist primary care and secondary care research taskforces, helping the collection of key evidence and even being a participant in the Oxford vaccine trial. I feel humble and proud.

The icing on the cake and completing the research journey was taking my mum to receive the Oxford vaccine last week and my mother in law to receive the Pfizer vaccine, two weeks ago. Isn’t it amazing what we have achieved? Science, research, our partners, volunteers and the NIHR have delivered something very special.”

Julie Mugarza
Research Delivery Manager
Clinical Research Network: North West Coast

Thanks to Julie for sharing her experience.