Discuss your research aspirations with an experienced mentor in healthcare.
About
I am an international critical care nurse at Manchester Foundation Trust (since 2020), currently working as a Charge Nurse with responsibilities spanning clinical leadership, research, and quality improvement. My role includes charge nurse duties, served as the Quality Improvement Lead, and acting as the Lead Research Champion for my department. As a research champion, I provide cross-site research support, initiate and lead nurse-led research projects, engage staff in research activities, support participation in NIHR programs (including the API scheme), contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines, and promote a strong research culture. In my clinical leadership role, I oversee unit and shift coordination, deliver care to critically ill patients, manage complex situations, and support workforce development as a practice assessor and supervisor. I actively contribute to student education and the preceptorship of newly appointed staff. Alongside my clinical and leadership roles, I am a guest lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, reflecting my strong commitment to education, mentorship, and capacity building within nursing.
Full Name: Anu Baby
Current Role: Charge Nurse and Lead Research Champion
Organisation: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Research Interest and/or Mentoring Expertise: Quantitative, Mixed methods, Critical care, Neuroscience nursing, wellbeing of women
Academic Qualification: Pre Doc
Email: babyanu1988@gmail.com, Anu.baby2@mft.nhs.uk
Research Experience and Background
I am a nurse with a strong passion for research and a firm belief in its ability to address complex challenges in healthcare and society. My interest in research began during my undergraduate studies and has since evolved into focused engagement in gynaecological nursing, critical care nursing, and neuroscience nursing. I have authored four peer-reviewed research papers, three as a primary investigator, including a systematic review published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing (2023). Through this work, I have developed strong expertise in systematic review methodology, including advanced search strategies, database navigation, evidence screening, citation mapping, and reference management. I have further strengthened my research and leadership skills through the NIHR Early Career Researcher Development Pathway Programme (Level 7, University of Liverpool), NIHR Good Clinical Practice training, mentorship training, and formal training in systematic reviews from Johns Hopkins University and ACTREC, India. My research interests extend to critical care nursing, neuroscience nursing, and women’s wellbeing. I am also currently collaborating on two systematic reviews with the Faculty of Nursing at MMU, MFT and Manipal University, India. I was also awarded the MFT’s Healthcare Professionals Bridging Fellowship Programme. I am actively involved in clinical academic leadership as a Research Champion at MFT, providing cross-site research support, initiating nurse-led research, supporting NIHR programmes, contributing to evidence-based guideline development, and promoting research culture and awareness. Alongside this, I have extensive experience in teaching and mentorship, having supervised undergraduate and postgraduate research projects in India and delivering lectures on evidence-based practice and health promotion as a guest lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Clinical Experience
I have over 10 years of clinical experience, mostly in the critical care unit.
What motivates you to become a mentor?
I want to be a mentor because research is central to my professional identity, and I am passionate about sharing the knowledge and learning I have gained through my own journey-both successes and challenges. I believe these experiences enable me to provide realistic, supportive, and practical guidance to aspiring researchers. I strongly believe that research is fundamental to the future of healthcare, with the potential to address complex problems, improve patient outcomes, and promote population health. Through mentoring, I hope to support the growth of NMAHP research by increasing research awareness, building confidence, and helping colleagues understand the diverse clinical academic pathways available. Mentorship is also an opportunity for mutual learning. By engaging with other researchers, I hope to remain inspired, expand my perspectives, and continue developing as a clinician-researcher while contributing meaningfully to a sustainable research culture.