Long COVID team highly commended in MRC Impact Awards
Researchers from the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology were part of a team highly commended for their work on long COVID at the recent Medical Research Council (MRC) Impact Awards.
The PHOSP-COVID study consortium, led by the University of Leicester, was shortlisted for the prestigious MRC Outstanding Team Impact Prize. This award celebrates an inspiring and successful team whose collaborative approach has made an outstanding contribution to medical research.
The consortium brings together leading researchers and clinicians from institutions across the UK, including the University of Liverpool, to understand and improve long-term health outcomes for patients who have been in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
The team’s research has investigated a variety of issues associated with COVID-19, including patient recovery outcomes; lung damage; breathlessness; organ abnormalities and the role of blood clots in cognitive problems.
The Liverpool Good Clinical Practice Laboratory Facility organised the central collection of patient samples and their distribution to other laboratories in Liverpool, Leicester and elsewhere where the appropriate expertise was available for their most efficient analysis.
Professor Bill Greenhalf commented: “At the start of the pandemic, our focus was rightly on the acute phase of the disease. Yet, forward-thinking researchers at institutions like Leicester and Liverpool swiftly recognised the need to research the long-term impacts on patients.”
“PHOSP-COVID is a fantastic example of collaborative team science, and it’s rewarding to see our collaborative team science approach to understanding the long-term health implications of COVID-19 recognised by the MRC.”
Professor Sonia Rocha, Executive Dean of the Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology said: “This is an amazing achievement for Professor Greenhalf and his collaborative nature. This recognises real impact of research collaboration, and we should be very proud of being in the top three teams in the country."
The Liverpool PHOSP team includes Bill Greenhalf, Tori Shaw, Mel Oates, Katie Bullock, Andrea Davies, Neda Yektapoor, Elliot Kyriakides, Nico Carlucci and Harriet Hanson.
