Part 1 of a really special interview. Prof Rod Stables, BHF CRC Clinical Lead & Consultant Cardiologist, Liverpool Heart & Chest has mentored so many successful Research Fellows and has kindly taken the time to share his insights.   

Every response is considered and this is one I'd suggest watching more than once. I really couldn't cut this episode down to 15 mins so I have split it into two.  

In the first half, Rod goes into what makes a good supervisor, a good project and how to think about your time Out-of-Programme doing research.  The perfect interview to end Season 1 with.

Dr Mays Jawad is the Research Governance Operations manager at the Queen Mary Univeristy of London/Barts Health Joint Research Management Office. She kindly shares the University perspective on study set-up, shedding light on why things go wrong and what can be done better. Helpful for anyone who's wondered why their study is taking so long to get sponsored and what is happening behind the scenes!

A great interview with Sarah Murray, Chair of the BHF & James Lind PPI partnership. She gives her highly experienced perspective on the value of PPI in designing trainee-led research and it's critical role when applying for funding. We also go through how to practically get PPI input and what questions to ask.

A really high value episode, Prof Jones gives so much useful information, I think it's worth listening to this episode twice! Dave Jones is the Dean of the NIHR Academy, on the NIHR Strategy Board and a Prof of Liver Immunology and Clinician in Newcastle. His passion for supporting research training is clear and he talks very pragmatically throughout.  He covers the aims and objectives of the NIHR, how research is being made more accessible for all and how it can support trainees interested in Research at any stage of their training.

Dr Jaffar Khan is a Staff clinician at NHLBI, Washington and interventional Fellow MedStar Washington Hospital, taking an OOPR from Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital in London, UK. He gives such an inspirational perspective of how to thrive and enjoy your time doing research.   He describes his journey from idea to implementation, taking your OOPR abroad and advice for Fellows thinking of doing a hands-on clinical project.

We hear from Dr Andrew Chapman, SpR and Clinical Lecturer at University of Edinburgh. Andrew took his OOPR before his NTN and he reflects on the advantages and disadvantages of this. He discusses the invaluable benefit from a good supervisor and loved ones and talks about his experience when returning back after research.

We go right to the top of the Health Research Authority and are honoured to bring you Sir Prof Terence Stephenson, Chair of the HRA, and previous Chair of the GMC, Dean of University College London and Consultant Paediatrician.   Seeking ethics approval can be challenging, especially if a Fellow is doing so for the first time. Sir Terence lays out the HRA infrastructure and the intentions and objectives of their Ethics Committees. We discuss common mistakes and how to overcome the associated challenges.

A really enjoyable conversation with someone in peak PhD mode. (Check out the episode on Youtube for it in full glory!)

Dr George Collins, Cardiology SpR and Wellcome Trust clinical research fellow at UCL bares all, sharing genuine insights, anxieties and joys along his research journey. 

He describes the process he took to select his research team and lab and the reasons why he chose to do a benchside PhD in Immunology.

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An interview with Dr Upasana Tayal, Clinical Lecturer and Cardiology registrar at Imperial College London. Upasana covers her journey to PhD but also the struggles in achieving the great success that she did. She contrasts clinical challenges to academic whilst emphasing the rewards as well.  Addendum: Since recording, Upasana has been awarded Young Investigator Award by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2021 again! That's twice now and we congratulate her on this incredible, but well deserved achievement!

You can watch the discussion on our sOOPR youtube channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCGmmMNTIbTUYGM8pXdHzYAA

In this inaugural episode, we were delighted to be joined by Dr James Howard, NIHR Clinical Lecturer and Cardiology SPR, Imperial College London. James shares his experiences applying for funding for his PhD and his thoughts on AI in Cardiology research.

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This episode was created by the BJCA and supported by the generosity of the BHF CRC