International Women’s Day 2025 – Succeeding as a female academic: Q&A with Professor Katrina Turner

Professor Katrina Turner

Katrina Turner is Professor of Primary Care Research, Head of the Centre for Academic Primary Care and Head of Section for Applied Health Research at Bristol Medical School. In this Q&A, she reflects on what it takes to succeed as a female academic and shares insights from her own personal journey to professorship at one of the world’s leading Universities.

It would be great if you could start by saying a bit about what you do and what attracted you to working in academia.

I’m a primary care scientist with expertise in qualitative research methods. I’ve got particular expertise in intervention development and integrating qualitative studies within randomised controlled trials to improve their design and delivery, and to aid the interpretation of trial findings. Most of my research has been in the area of primary care mental health.

I never really had a plan to become an academic. … Read more

The road to funding for a complex clinical trial – ingredients for success

Dr Eszter Szilassy

 

 

 

Dr Eszter Szilassy, IRIS+ Trial Principal Investigator, Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Violence and Health, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

On 1 May 2024, I held the first meeting of the IRIS+ Trial, a complex clinical trial to improve the general practice response to domestic abuse, which had been made possible by an award of £2.2 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As I sat with colleagues, I couldn’t quite believe that we were finally ready to go. The journey started two and a half years ago on the back of a feasibility study, which was successful, but not yet published. As a mid-career researcher, this was my first major grant application as Principal Investigator. I had much to learn on the way and was reliant on a lot of support from both academic … Read more

Insights from the Oxford International Primary Care Research Leadership Programme

by Dr Alyson Huntley
Research Fellow
Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol
and
Dr Sarah Tonkin-Crine
Health Psychologist
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford

Two individuals are supported by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) to attend the Oxford Leadership Programme every year. This year researchers Drs Alyson Huntley from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and Sarah Tonkin-Crine, from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford attended the first week of events at St Hughs’ College, Oxford.

As cohort#12 of the International Primary Care Research Leadership Programme we were lucky to stay at St Hugh’s College, Oxford during a very hot and sunny week in July. After arriving at the college on Sunday afternoon we were given our timetable and a list of our cohort members spanning the UK, Catalonia and … Read more