9 August 2018
Elizabeth Grillo, a lead physiotherapist at Royal Brompton Hospital, has been awarded a pre-doctoral clinical academic fellowship (PCAF) which will allow her to develop the skills and experience required to access doctoral level funding.
The PCAF scheme, funded by Health Education England and the National Institute for Health Research, funds personalised programmes of academic training and dedicated time to prepare an application for a competitive, peer-reviewed doctoral level research training fellowship.
The fellowship will allow Elizabeth to focus on developing in three specific areas: research methodology training and education; clinical skill in assessment of breathing pattern and breathing pattern response; and leadership skills. Upon completion, she plans to develop her career as a clinical academic and aims to use the training and development to prepare for a PhD application looking to assess and evaluate breathing pattern disorders (BPD).
Elizabeth has already helped in the development of an outcome measure for the evaluation of BPD, and a PhD will allow her to assess this tool for clinical use to determine its usefulness.
BPD is an important condition and can co-exist with and mimic asthma, acting to amplify symptoms and confound assessment of disease control, resulting in inappropriate treatment escalation. Patients with this condition are often breathless and limited in their day to day function meaning their quality of life is impaired.
Elizabeth, who is currently on maternity leave, said: “I am really excited to progress my research experience, and to explore developing towards a role of an allied health professional clinical academic. Connecting the clinical, research and academic environments is key to producing excellent patient-centred research.”
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