National award for stroke consultant whose research improves patient care

A stroke consultant who passionately believes in the value of research in improving patient care has won national recognition for her work.

Dr Manju Krishnan has received the Local Clinical Research Investigator Award from the British and Irish Association of Stroke Physicians.

Presented by the BIASP every year, the award is for a non-academic clinician who has substantially contributed to local stroke research.

Dr Krishnan joined the health board as consultant stroke physician in 2014. She has been principal investigator on several national and international trials involving patients at Morriston Hospital where she is based.

Dr Krishnan said clinical researchers were different to academic researchers. Their routine work was more patient facing and service orientated. Finding the time to undertake research amongst this routine clinical work, she said, was challenging.

“With research you are able to improve someone’s life by preventing a stroke as well as help their recovery after a stroke,” she said.

“However, for every research trial, there is a team of people delivering the work, without which we would not be able to progress much.

Right: Dr Krishan (second right) with some of her Ward F stroke team colleagues.

“I am so fortunate to have a fantastic stroke team at Morriston hospital whose lifetime goal is to improve stroke care.

“We received the NHS Wales timely care award last year, recognising the improvement we brought about to stroke patients who have lost their ability to swallow.

“With this clinical team, along with our extremely supportive R&D department, we were one of the top five recruiting sites in the world for a landmark stroke research trial that has given us knowledge of when to start anticoagulation in people with stroke and atrial fibrillation.

“Research brings a lot of improved care and that is why it has always excited me. Clinicians do not have to do research, but I believe that if you don’t, you are not doing what you can do for your population.”

Dr Krishnan is now undertaking research to develop a new bedside assessment scale for stroke survivors as her PhD thesis with Swansea University. It is supported with a Welsh Government innovation grant.

The scale would allow ward-based staff to assess any changes in the condition of stroke patients following their initial treatment.

Pilot and main studies have been carried out at Morriston Hospital, and the results are now being analysed.

Dr Krishnan has also championed stroke research across Wales, through her role as Specialty Lead for Stroke with Health and Care Research Wales. She was previously deputy specialty lead, appointed in 2016.

“I have been trying to promote clinicians getting more involved in stroke research in principal investigator and associate principal investigator roles,” she said.

“All acute health boards are now actively participating in stroke research and it’s nice to see how much Wales has come along in the last few years.

“We fell behind during the pandemic to concentrate on Covid trials. Now we have almost caught up.

“Patient-facing research has always excited me. Offering patients the opportunity for research participation should be the default and part of their routine clinical care.”

Dr Krishnan said she felt privileged to have won the BIASP award. She added: “It means a lot to me to have been recognised, which just gives me the desire to do more and more research locally and nationally.”