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Top professor scoops a world class honour
UCLan's Caroline Watkins
A leading Preston academic has been awarded a top European accolade.
Caroline Watkins, Professor of Stroke and Older People’s Care and director of research for the School of Health at the University of Central Lancashire, has been awarded the status of Fellow of the European Stroke Organisation.
The award was made to record the “significant contribution to stroke care and research” that Professor Watkins, and her team at UCLan, have made over the past decade.
Professor Watkins is the only nursing professor of stroke care in the UK and leads one of the largest stroke care research teams in the country at UCLan.
And, she is one of only a limited number of nurses and allied health professionals to be awarded this status, which is usually given to medical colleagues.
She has been working in stroke research for 20 years, with more than half of that time at UCLan.
During this time she has led the development of the UK’s Stroke-Specific Education Framework (SSEF), alongside Dr Michael Leathley, and is now working to get funding for its use in Europe and beyond.
Professor Watkins said: “It is a huge honour to receive such international recognition for our contribution to stroke care and research.
“This would not have been possible without the help of Dr Bernard Gibbon and UCLan who have offered unwavering support and allowed my research team to grow from strength to strength.”
She added: “We are truly committed to improving the quality of stroke care and it is wonderful for this to be acknowledged by our colleagues. ”
Professor Dave Phoenix, deputy vice-chancellor for strategic planning and performance at UCLan, said: “It is fantastic that Caroline has been recognised on an international level.
“She is a credit to UCLan and I want to offer my congratulations on behalf of the university for her remarkable success in such an important field of medical research.”
As well as her UCLan research, Caroline also set up INSPIRE (International Network for Stroke Professionals Interested in Rehabilitation and Evidence-based practice) with an Australian colleague, which works with senior stroke researchers across the world.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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