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North East London LRN
Barts and the London Hospital NHS Trust
Introduction
The North East London Diabetes Research Network is based at the Whitechapel site of Barts & the London NHS Trust. It is a joint collaboration between the Trust and Barts & the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Diabetes is a real priority across North East London, with high prevalence and morbidity rates. NELDRN hopes to work with existing networks, organisations and expertise across the region to optimise benefits for people with diabetes, their families, and those at risk of developing the disease.
The principal aim of the network is to improve patient care for those with diabetes and prevent further incidence in those who are at risk, by conducting high quality research studies. We aim to widen both public and professional participation in research and enhance better co-ordination and integration of research within the North East London and Essex region.
The NELDRN will contribute to the necessary infrastructure to co-ordinate, support and conduct both academic and commercial studies. This contribution may include the provision of highly trained research staff to conduct research, or where organisations have the necessary capacity available, train existing staff to conduct research themselves. The network can also provide assistance with ethical applications, and education and training in diabetes care and research methods.
- Clinical Leads
- Network Manager
- Administrator
- Contact Details
- Primary Care
- General Information
- The Launch
- Newsletters
Clinical Leads
Professor Graham Hitman
Graham Hitman graduated from University College Hospital Medical College in 1976. In 1986 he was appointed as a senior lecturer in medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician at Barts & the London and is currently the Professor of Molecular Medicine and Diabetes. His clinical speciality is in diabetes and in addition to general diabetes work he runs clinics for adolescent patients, cystic fibrosis related diabetes and lipid disorders. Since 2003 he has been Deputy Director of the Institute of Cell and Molecular Science.
Professor Hitman has developed a special interest in the aetiology and prevention of diabetes in South Asian populations, his research work is currently being funded by the Medical Research Council, Department of Health, Diabetes UK and other charities.
Professor Chris Griffiths
Chris Griffiths is professor of primary care and joint acting centre lead in the Centre for Health Sciences, and deputy director for research at the Institute for Health Sciences Education. He is a principal investigator at the MRC-Asthma UK Centre for Allergic Mechanisms in Asthma. He has been a general practitioner in Hackney since 1992. He read Physiological Sciences at Keble College, Oxford, before completing a D.Phil addressing the endocrine control of gut function.
His clinical training was at King’s College London. His research addresses tuberculosis, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes, and ethnicity. He is a member of the development groups for NICE guidelines for tuberculosis, and for the British asthma guidelines. He is a Trustee of Asthma UK and an editorial board member of the journals Thorax and the Primary Care Respiratory Journal.
Network Manager
Mrs Gill Hood
Gill Hood has been the NE London Diabetes Research Network Manager since April 2007. She qualified as a nurse at The Royal London Hospital in 1984. She specialised early on in her career in endocrine investigations, and diabetes management and has been involved with diabetes research since 1997. In 2000 she was appointed as Clinical Research Manager for Barts and the London NHS Trust.
Gillian has gained an MSc in diabetes focusing on ethnic minority groups and is now completing a PhD in Older Adults with diabetes. She is a member of the Federation of Diabetes Nurses in Europe and the RCN forums on Diabetes and Research.
Administrator
Mrs Jacqueline Fletcher
Jacqueline Fletcher has been the PA/Administrator for the North East London Diabetes Research Network since October 2006 and has been instrumental in the set up of the DRN office, the implementation of administrative procedures and, recruitment of the team. Her competencies are in the use of ICT to support and improve administrative systems, underpinned by her previous role as a Data Quality Manager, for one of the government back to work initiatives.
Contact Details
North East London Diabetes Research NetworkAbernethy Building, Room 2.22
2 Newark Street
London
E1 2AT
Tel: 020 7882 2592/020 7882 2594
Fax: 020 7882 7210
General Information
The NELDRN team are based in Whitechapel, East London and have links with Primary care throughout North East London and Secondary care links with:
- Barts & The London NHS trust
- Newham University Hospital NHS Trust
- Homerton Hospital NHS Trust
- Barking Havering & Redbridge NHS Trust
- Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Broomfield Hospital
We are able to offer support to staff throughout our region with the running of research projects, including assistance with set up and support from our team of research nurses to assist with recruitment of trial patients once studies have been officially adopted onto the diabetes research network portfolio. Alongside this we also independently run a cohort of pharmaceutical trials from our base at Whitechapel.
The Team
Back Row (from left to right)
- Emma Thompson Research Nurse
- Nasima Mannan MRC Research Assistant
- Jacqueline Fletcher Administrator
- Sarah Williams Primary Care Co-ordinator
- Gill Hood Network Manager
Front row (from left to right)
- Zohra Rehman Research Nurse/Advocate
- Malar Saravanan Research Nurse
- Francess Fode MRC Research Nurse
- Felicia Otobo-Martins Research Nurse
Primary Care
The NELDRN is unique in having a primary care coordinator within the team. Sarah Williams joined the team with a background in facilitation and project management within the NHS and has been invaluable in establishing links with general practices within the locality. We hope to continue to forge these links and establish a network of GP practices that are willing to participate in diabetes research.
The Launch
The NELDRN hosted its official launch on 20th November 2007 at the Great Hall at St Bart’s. The event was well attended by local dignitaries, diabetologists, diabetes specialist nurses, GP’s, Practice nurses and lay people with an interest in diabetes research. We were fortunate to have Professor Harry Keene CBE as our key note speaker who gave the audience an informative talk on the history of diabetes research.
The launch gave the opportunity to introduce the network to the North East London professional and lay community and the team have received much positive feedback on the success of the event. We hope to host several smaller events throughout the locality aimed specifically at the Primary Care community to further increase awareness of our work.