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Health & Social Care Research Across North East & North Cumbria.

Children and Young People

Meet the Team

Children, classified between birth and 14 years of age, and young people, aged 15 to 25 have their own individual needs and therefore need studies designed with their social, emotional and physical needs in mind. This specialty therapy area has cross cutting themes across genomics and rare diseases, mental health, ophthalmology, primary care and reproductive health.

Steve Pratt

Research delivery manager

CRN North East and North Cumbria

Dr Arshid Murad

Children and young people specialty group lead

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Flora McErlane

Children and young people deputy specialty group lead

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Steve Pratt's research experience

I am the research delivery manager for children and young people's research, which includes schools, reproductive health and childbirth, genetics, mental health and dementias and neurodegenerative disease specialties for CRN NENC. Since joining the NIHR CRN in 2008 I have worked in a number of operational and strategic leadership roles supporting the delivery of health and care research.

Prior to joining the NIHR I worked as a postdoctoral academic researcher at Durham University and The University of Sheffield within the field of biomedical sciences. I am passionate about enabling the development, delivery and implementation of research that impacts positively on health and care outcomes, through partnership working. Tips to get involved in research include contacting your research and development and CRN specialty team and speak to colleagues who are already involved in research about their experiences.

Connect with Steve Pratt

Email Steve

Dr Arshid Murad's research experience

I am the children’s specialty group co-lead lead, with a special interest in paediatric respiratory concerns, inclusive of cystic fibrosis, paediatric long COVID and the research surrounding these conditions.

My training includes bachelors of medicine and surgery, a diploma in child health and I am a member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health UK. I have been with South Tees Hospitals since 2014.

Connect with Dr Arshid Murad

Email Arshid

Dr Flora McErlane's research experience

I have been a consultant paediatric rheumatologist at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle since 2013. I work with a well-established multi-disciplinary team caring for children and young people with rheumatological disease. My academic interests include research into inflammatory rheumatological disease, in particular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and adolescent medicine research.

I am a clinician representative on the UK Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Studies Group, joint convenor of the BSR Special Interest Group in adolescents and young adults and deputy chair of the Barbara Ansell National Network for adolescent rheumatology (BANNAR). I also co-lead the children's specialty group in the North East and North Cumbria.

Connect with Dr Flora McErlane

Email Flora

How to get involved

Explore

Visit the national specialty page here

Introduce paediatric patients to the young people's advisory groups on offer

Consent from an adult will be required for those under the age of 18, ask patients if they would like to join a Young People’s Advisory Group, talk to your patients about Generation R

Be Part of Research

Signpost patients and service users to Be Part of Research

Contact MedConnect

Visit the MedTech Co-operative page, where you can explore opportunities to work in partnership with medical device, digital technology and diagnostic companies to help them successfully translate ideas into the settings where children and young people are treated.

Funding opportunities

Find funding opportunities for paediatric care research and collaboration with experienced researchers.