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Research manager urges others to join the NIHR to transform lives

CRN South London’s Senior Research Delivery Manager, Andra Cosma, is urging others to join the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to help transform lives.

Andra believes the NIHR plays an integral role in enabling people to live healthier and better lives both now and in the future.

She said research is the only way to find out the answers to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Andra, who spoke to promote the NIHR’s ‘Your Path in Research’ campaign, said:

“Research, at the moment, is under the national spotlight as we try to find the answers that will end the global COVID-19 pandemic. I’m proud to be playing a small part in the national fightback against this disease. I believe that ongoing research in the community will help us to find a treatment or cure for COVID-19.

“The NIHR provides the most unique research infrastructure in the world, and there are so many opportunities for people to develop in their careers. I feel so lucky to have worked in research for 10 years in a region that has a world class reputation for improving things for patients. My message to anyone considering a career in research is: just do it, as it is a very exciting profession to work in.

“I have Type 1 diabetes, which is a lifelong, incurable condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high, and without the discovery of insulin by scientist Frederick Banting I wouldn’t be alive today. Everything in healthcare is underpinned by research which helps to advance medicine, find new cures for diseases and better treatments for future generations.”

Andra works with health and social care providers and the other research delivery managers to increase the opportunities for people to take part in clinical trials in south London.

CRN South London’s Workforce Development Lead Nhlanhla Mguni said: “Many healthcare professionals say they find the experience of being involved in research studies positive and rewarding.

“As a network, we are proud to play our part in supporting vital research that improves patient care, and I’d also like to encourage others to consider a career within the NIHR.”

The NIHR is the largest funder of health and social care research in England, and the organisation provides the people, facilities and technology that enables research to thrive.

The ‘Your Path in Research’ campaign gives healthcare professionals the opportunity to learn more about research that can impact their day-to-day work, by highlighting a variety of ways they can take their first or next step in their research career.

More information about the ‘Your Path in Research’ campaign can be found on the NIHR’s website.