Allied health professionals in research

Research isn’t just for nurses and doctors. Healthcare professionals across the board can add research to their careers — from physiotherapists to dietitians, paramedics to speech therapists.

The local Clinical Research Networks (CRNs) across the south east are shining a spotlight on allied health professionals (AHPs) in research. Take a look at their stories and find out more about adding research to your career.

AHPs in research — career stories

Paramedics

Ellie Tanner — Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

"Research allows us to pick out the injustices, inequalities and, at times, the failings of health and social care to improve the services we all access at one point in our lives. Research is pivotal to shaping a brighter and healthier future."

Specialist Surgical Dietitian

Cécile Taylor — Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

"The work I’ve conducted in research so far has allowed me to connect with my patients in a completely new way, working with them to identify and explore solutions to problems together."

Critical Care Dietitian

Brigid Sharkey — Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

"I would say to any AHP that is considering research, reach out to your local research team and see what support and guidance they could offer."

Senior Clinical Academic Speech and Language Therapist

Dr Gemma Clunie — Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

"My research has meant I am more confident in supporting my patients through their diagnosis and surgery in terms of the advice, assessment, and management that I offer."

Physiotherapist — neurological and vestibular disorders

Rebecca Smith — Imperial College London

"I think it motivates staff to think outside the box and importantly we can include patient voices in how we shape our clinical practice."

Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapist

Christopher Horler — Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and Sussex MSK Partnership

"Research can help us understand the patient's views and experiences, which can help us to improve our health services or healthcare provision."

Advanced Clinical Practice Hand Therapist

Lisa Newington — Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

"Curiosity is key. Research and service improvement questions are driven by thinking about why we do what we do and how we might improve treatment and care for people by working alongside patients."

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Haemophilia

Paul McLaughlin — Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

"Keeping the patient at the forefront of what we do and how we should do it means that together we can create research questions that are meaningful, with outcomes and outputs that may be more applicable in the real world."

Find out more about research careers

Your Path in Research — NIHR resources to support research careers
HEE-NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic Programme — research training awards for health and social care professionals, excluding doctors and dentists, who wish to develop careers that combine research and research leadership with continued practice and professional developmen
Allied Health Professions’ Research and Innovation Strategy for England — definitive collective national reference statement that encompasses and supports the existing research and innovation strategies of all the Allied Health professional associations
Council for Allied Health Professions Research — the council's mission is to develop AHP research, strengthen evidence of the professions’ value and impact for enhancing service user and community care, and enable the professions to speak with one voice on research issues, thereby raising their profile and increasing their influence