Category: IGHI people

Making care safer: What’s it like to study our MSc in Patient Safety?

Last year, our Institute launched a new fully online MSc Patient Safety Programme. Developed in partnership with Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the course aims to develop global leaders and changemakers in patient safety who can catalyse improvements and innovation in healthcare practice across the globe. As we open applications for its second year, we’re delighted to have a student from our first cohort, Charlotte Parsley, share her experience of the course with us.

“I have a clinical background in midwifery, specifically in patient safety and clinical governance. I chose to further my education with Imperial due to my strong interest in patient safety and Imperial’s academic reputation.”

Breaking down barriers to access academia

Last year, we proudly launched our Julia Anderson Training Programme, a paid internship scheme for people who have little or no work experience, as we know how difficult it can be for people to get that first foot in the door. This programme is the first of its kind at Imperial, giving people the opportunity to boost their skills while working on an impactful programme of work at IGHI. Our first trainees, who you can read about on our website, worked on a range of topics including education, digital health, and data science.

Now open for its second round of applications, Clarissa Gardner, Research Assistant at the Institute Global Health Innovation, who led the creation of the programme, gives her thoughts on why now, more than ever, these placements are needed. 

What’s it like to…work in mental health research?

By Dr Lindsay Dewa, Advanced Research Fellow, NIHR Imperial Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, IGHI

I have been aware of mental health from an early age. I just didn’t know it was called that at the time! I remember feeling deeply about things and wanting to make sure everyone was okay if they looked sad or down. It was then only natural that I leaned towards getting a degree in psychology – the science of the mind and behaviour. I then completed my MSc in research methods and forensic psychology. This naturally led me to embarking on a PhD studying sleep and mental health in prison populations.

One year on – how our researchers have responded to the pandemic

“We’re in this together.” One year ago, on 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

Back then, little over 100,000 cases had been reported globally. Today that number is 1,000 times greater and growing ceaselessly.

With a barely known virus rippling across the world, so too did fear and uncertainty spread as the WHO Director-General addressed all people and nations to make the declaration. Shifting the focus from COVID-19 to people and unity, Dr Tedros also sparked glimmers of optimism by emphasising that innovation and learning would be integral to saving lives and minimising the impact of the pandemic.