Discuss your research aspirations with an experienced mentor in healthcare.

About

Clare is a clinical academic nurse specialist in Tissue Viability (prevention, assessment, and treatment of complex wounds) at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and visiting research fellow at the University of Leeds. She completed her PhD in 2020, which she undertook part time whilst maintaining her clinical practice. Her PhD was a mixed methods study using realist methodology to explore how devices are used in clinical practice for the prevention of heel pressure ulcers and informed the HTA funded multi-centre RCT WHiTE14-PRESSURE 3 which is currently open to recruitment. In 2025 Clare was awarded a Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award (SCPRA) through the NIHR. She was also awarded the prestigious European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Early Career Researcher award for her work in pressure ulcer prevention. Other activities include Associate Editor for the Journal of Tissue Viability, Trustee for the Society of Tissue Viability and member and Treasurer for the Legs Matter Campaign. Clare is passionate about the role of clinical academics, and would like to support others to follow this challenging, but highly rewarding path.

Research Experience and Background
PhD 2020 Post Doc Bridging Scheme 2022 Clinical co-ordinator WHiTE14-PRESSURE 3 HTA trial 2022-present NIHR SCPRA 2025-2030

Clinical Experience
16 years experience as a Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist, providing clinical expertise for patients with complex wounds. I have been working to set up a Research Delivery service in Tissue Viability, acting as PI for commercial and NIHR portfolio studies as well as managing research delivery for trials.

What motivates you to become a mentor?
Support others to follow a clinical academic path – it’s not easy but I want to help others take on this rewarding pathway, especially for nurses and AHPs