Now in its 6th year, the Christine Pierre Clinical Trials Lifetime Achievement Award, in association with mdgroup, celebrates the ground-breaking work and contributions of individuals across the field of clinical trials who are making a positive difference. The shortlist for the 2020 prize has been announced and we are taking a closer look at each of the nominees - see all the profiles here. Here we focus on Professor James Batchelor, Associate Dean International - Research & Enterprise, Clinical Informatics Research Unit at the University of Southampton. Cast your vote here to have your say on this years winner.
Why he was nominated
"My director Professor James Batchelor deserves this award because over 20 years ago he came up with the idea to create an innovative clinical trials management system (EDGE), to increase research efficiency, data excellence and help improve patient care. With the help of Head Developer David Miller, the dream became reality and now the EDGE programme is successfully used and embedded across 80% of the NHS, as well as in Ireland, Scotland and used on a global scale in countries including Canada, New Zealand and Belgium. The EDGE programme is utilised by over 35,000 users, working on over 200,000 research projects and over 5 million patient records. If it was not for James and his hard work and dedication, EDGE would not be where it is today and it would not be advancing clinical research the way it does.”
In his own words...
“Over 20 years ago I was involved in setting up the Cancer Research Network locally and from this I discovered there was no web-based systems in place which allowed information we needed to report back to the coordinating centre. This led to the idea of building a collaborative research environment with real-time information, which today is known as EDGE, now utilised on a global scale and within 80% of the NHS throughout the UK. Over the years our unit has developed, we don’t just offer EDGE. What we offer is very broad in terms of supporting clinical research and this is not just locally or nationally, but in fact on a global scale. Our wide range of research programmes and services together, allows us to be able to truly understand what the needs and requirements are for growing vibrant health research systems, anywhere. Currently we are supporting over 200,000 research projects and the EDGE programme is working with patterns in over 36 countries Our unit’s services fill in the missing gaps in countries both in the developed world but also in the developing world. This is to ensure that there exists every opportunity for clinical research to be conducted internationally and with different groups and populations around the world.
I am very excited that, as a group, we are able to support this vision of a global research environment for clinical trials and improving the outcomes for patients globally.
As a department we will continue to support more and more global clinical and health informatics programmes, everything from EDGE through to the development of open source electronic medical records, advancing the informatics from an education perspective for both clinical and non-clinical staff, and ensuring that digital is at the heart of the way we deliver modern medicine and modern care in the future.”
How the voting works
Voting is now open until 9 October 2020, 12pm GMT. We will impartially encourage our online community to vote; each finalist is also encouraged to reach out to their colleagues and contacts. Anyone in the online clinical trials community can vote, but only once each. Both voting and the opinion of the expert panel will be taken into account when choosing the winner. The prize will be presented at the Clinical Trials Europe virtual event on 4 November. Cast your vote for this year's Lifetime Achievement Award winner here.