Professor Kerry Hood wins Cardiff University Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Award

Professor Kerry Hood, Director of the Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University, has won the outstanding contribution to leadership award. The award is for the person who:

By their energy, enthusiasm and motivation, this individual inspires and empowers others to achieve their goals and fulfil their potential. The award is open to individuals at any level who have a leadership responsibility and includes all types of line-managers and supervisors.

Vision

Ten years ago, Kerry’s vision created the South East Wales Trials Unit. In the last three years Kerry has formed the Centre for Trials Research. From ten staff in 2006 to over 130 research staff today, the Centre is now a critical hub in Wales and the UK for clinical research. Meeting the highest research standards as evidenced by its on-going registration as a UKCRC trials unit, she has set the agenda for a research portfolio driven to maximise patient and public benefit for Wales and beyond.

Embedding core values

Kerry’s creation of Centre for Trials Research from three existing units was based explicitly on values elicited from its membership. She engaged existing staff through an open communication strategy of structured consultation and crucially devolved responsibilities to maximise ownership by staff. She brought together cross-cutting teams for Professional Services, Quality Assurance and Information Systems & Database Development while maintaining a regulatory compliant governance system. Kerry’s principled, open, solution-focused leadership approach ensures her door is always open, whenever needed.

Maintaining research expertise

Yet Kerry has managed to maintain her own research interests, currently co-applicant on £34M of research grants and over 200 publications. Her principled and passionate leadership for research inclusion has established Cardiff’s position as a leading centre for research with people with learning disabilities. Evidence of her international reputation includes her position on the NIHR Commissioning Board, as a Health & Care Research Wales Senior Research Leader, and her 2017 address to the BMJ Board Annual Strategy meeting on future directions in global research.

Benefits to Cardiff University, students and staff

Centre for Trials Research provides immense professional and scientific opportunities for all its staff, for example, through its sustained growth trajectory, the conversion from fixed to on-going staff contracts and creation of a leadership team including four new professors. Centre for Trials Research critically supports REF through collaborations across all Schools in its College, across Colleges within Cardiff and through its consultancy service supports the development of new researchers in health and social care professionals in SE Wales. Staff are attracted to the Centre through its international reputation, existing staff are retained through the opportunities championed by Kerry own commitments to equity, development, equity, transparency, research integrity and research excellence.

The Centre for Trials Research is the largest group of academic clinical trials staff in Wales.