Cambridge celebrates two winners of NIHR20 Research Leaders Prizes

We are delighted to share the news that two of the NIHR20 Research Leaders Prizes have been awarded to staff in Cambridge.

As part of the NIHR 20th anniversary celebrations, the awards recognise outstanding individuals who lead and deliver research across health and social care.

The awards were split into two categories: the NIHR20 Research Delivery Leaders prize, which recognises individuals who showed exceptional leadership in delivering research; and the NIHR20 Rising Research Leaders prize, which recognises exceptional early to mid-career researcfhers;

NIHR20 Research Delivery Leaders prize

Caroline Saunders (pictured left), Director of Operations at NIHR Clinical Research Facility: Cambridge, won a NIHR20 Research Delivery Leader prize for her exceptional leadership in delivering NIHR portfolio research and championing participation across health and care settings.

For the past 25 years, Caroline’s work and dedication have been instrumental in establishing and developing a first-class NIHR Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Her impressive career includes co-founding the UKCRF Network, implementing a Children’s Executive Board and leading urgent Covid-19 research studies.

Caroline also managed the development of the five-story Cambridge Clinical Research Centre and expansion of the CRF to a seven-unit facility with its own endoscopy suite, labs, early phase trial ward, metabolic suite and inpatient and outpatient wards for both children and adults.

Caroline’s strategic and operational delivery expertise is recognised nationally and internationally. Under her exceptional leadership, the NIHR CRF: Cambridge has supported more than 200,000 patient visits, contributed to securing £43m in NIHR funding and seen ground-breaking research, including the artificial pancreas, capsule sponge and Covid-19 trials.

Caroline said:

“It’s a great honour to receive this award and to place Clinical Research Facilities front and centre.

“My thanks go to CRF staff past and present and the many investigators who go the extra mile to support patients taking part in research. It’s a fabulous environment to work in.”

NIHR20 Rising Research Leaders prize

The other prizewinner from Cambridge is neurosurgeon Dr Benjamin Davies (pictured left), who has won the NIHR20 Rising Research Leaders prize for his outstanding work in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM), where age-related changes to the bones, ligaments and discs of the neck can cause pressure on the spinal cord and affect nerve function.

Benjamin’s research focuses on developing new treatments and improving quality of life for patients, and his national and international collaborations have helped to drive research in this field and improve patient care.

 

His achievements include:

• co-founding Myelopathy.org, the first global charity dedicated to DCM;
• co-leading AO Spine RECODE-DCM, an international initiative bringing patients, clinicians and researchers together to raise awareness and accelerate DCM research;
• co-founding the ICENI collaboration to improve care for older patients undergoing neurosurgery, with a focus on Chronic Subdural Haematoma, where he helped develop national clinical guidance; and
• contributing to translating research into new technologies through MoveMed Ltd, a spin-out company developing digital biomarkers for neurological disease.

Benjamin said:

“I am very honoured to have won this award, and would like to thank the many people who have made it possible, including so many across the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Cambridge — mentors, students and collaborators.

“Amongst the many projects, I am proudest to say we now have a roadmap to end moderate to severe disability in degenerative cervical myelopathy.  Let’s see if we can deliver on that – All help welcome!”

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of NIHR, said:

“These prizes highlight the exceptional talent and dedication found across our health and care research community.

“Our winners represent the best of research leadership, driving life-changing improvements for patients – nationally and internationally – and tackling inequalities head-on.

“As we mark 20 years of the NIHR, we are proud to celebrate these outstanding individuals who are strengthening health and social care and making research more inclusive.”

A formal prize-giving ceremony will take place at the 2026 NIHR Academy Conference in October.