Ruth Ambrose receives NIHR Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship
A huge congratulations to GMMH’s very own Ruth Ambrose who has received the NIHR Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship (PCAF)!
Ruth is passionate about providing the best care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. With over twenty years working at GMMH, Ruth is a Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner working in a primary care mental health team. Her background focussed on working with service users who have severe and enduring mental health problems (SMI).
Last year, Ruth was awarded an Individual Research Career Development Award from the NIHR’s Three NIHR Research Schools’ Mental Health Programme which shines a light on staff who are committed to developing the evidence base to improve mental health and wellbeing in underserved populations.
With the Mental Health Programme, Ruth has focussed her research on better understanding and improving service delivery for patients with SMI within primary care. This new academic fellowship will help Ruth develop her research skills and prepare an application for a Doctoral Academic Fellowship (DCAF).
Ruth said:
“I am delighted to receive the NIHR Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship! This is a real milestone in my research career. I want to use my clinical experience and skills to ensure that mental health research is translated into everyday practice – making sure that mental health research is implemented to improve the care for those most vulnerable.
“If I am successful for the doctoral fellowship, I plan to co-produce research understanding the care experience of service users with SMI, and their carers, in primary care. I would like to identify and prioritise any gaps in service provision, developing a service model closing the gap through system change.
“My advice to clinicians wanting to get involved in research is: become a research advocate and seek out mentorship to consider your next steps.”
Research training awards are available for health and social care professionals like Ruth Ambrose who aspire to pursue careers that integrate research, research leadership, practice, and professional development. More information about the PCAF and other academic programmes at NIHR are available here.
You can find out how to get involved in research – such as becoming a Research Advocate or joining the Research-Interested Staff network – by visiting our Research Information for Staff page.
GMMH staff can also make use of our excellent Library & Knowledge Services based in The Curve in Prestwich.