Posted October 31st 2024
The awards recognise Wales’ innovative and inspirational research community across four categories – Public Involvement, Health and Social Care Impact, Rising Research Star and Innovation in Practice, with a fifth award being given for the most engaging exhibition at the conference.
Dr Samuel Chawner, a senior research fellow at the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics in Cardiff University, was awarded the Rising Research Star award. This award is for researchers who are in the early stages of their health or social care research career, are making significant contributions to their field, and are an emerging future leader.
The panel commended Dr Chawner’s innovative and impactful programme of research which is funded by a prestigious Wellcome Trust Career Development Award. They noted a true commitment to diversity and inclusion and support of the wider research community which will be inspirational to the next generation of researchers in Wales.
Dr Chawner said: “It’s been a huge surprise and it’s really an honour to win this award. I hope it raises awareness of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and developing this research. So many individuals living with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), their families and clinicians have told me of the struggles they face, and the need for research to improve care and support.”
A panel of judges from across the sector decided the winners in each category, who have all been awarded funding of up to £250 to attend a training course, conference, workshop or similar event to develop an area of their research skillset.
They were presented at the Health and Care Research Wales’s conference on Thursday 10 October, by Professor Kieran Walshe, Director of Health and Care Research Wales, who said: “These awards recognise the very best of our research community and showcase the work that is making a difference to our communities here in Wales. Submissions were of a very high standard and as always, our judges had a difficult task in picking the overall winners. I’d like to congratulate everyone who has been recognised with these awards, whether as winners or runners up, and to those too who were highly commended for their submissions.”
Dr Chawner, who was also recently listed in Cambridge University’s Q100 alumni list for LGBT+ trailblazers, concluded: “I’m grateful for this award and am looking forward to continuing to work with colleagues across the National Centre for Mental Health to answer fundamental questions about the nature and causes of ARFID. Working with individuals living with ARFID, clinicians, Beat, and an international network of researchers, including colleagues based in Cardiff University, we are trying to find out as much we can about the disorder, and ultimately provide improved information and clinical support to those affected.”
Take part in our ARFID research
We are currently working with Dr Samuel Chawner on his research into Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Register your interest today and help us make a difference.
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