NEWS From a clinical doctoral school to a research network covering the entire northern healthcare region. Anne-Marie Fors Connolly runs the research network, which is expanding to give more clinical researchers access to the knowledge they need to conduct clinical research.
Anne-Marie Fors Connolly, Associate Professor and resident in clinical microbiology, started an initiative for a clinical doctoral school, where clinical researchers could gain knowledge and experience on their way to becoming associate docents and research group leaders. The idea came to her after completing ReaL stages 1 and 2 and she felt she wanted to help create a network for clinical researchers.
"I have a huge interest in leadership, management and recognise the importance of continuous training to keep up the inspiration for clinical research and train the next generation of clinical researchers," says Anne-Marie Fors Connolly.
I felt a need, and saw a need
When she became a research group leader herself, she had no leadership training and found it difficult. ReaL 1 and 2 are great courses, but there are other challenges when you work clinically, and she therefore missed that link in the programmes. The Docent School opened up opportunities to bring people together in the same situation and enable networking and finding partners and ideas for new research across professional categories, but also across clinical boundaries.
"I imagined a research network that would bring together all those who have the potential to become research leaders, but also those who are responsible for conducting clinical research, such as clinical management staff. I felt a need, and saw a need, so I thought I'd start something similar to ReaL, but more informal and more aimed at the region's affiliated researchers," says Anne-Marie.
The Docent School was born. However, the name has caused some confusion and will henceforth be called the Clinical Research Network in the Northern Healthcare Region (KlinForsk Norr), as it is aimed not only at those who want to become an associate professor, but at all those who are active in clinical research, as well as management functions and research leaders.
Once a month, participants are invited to a lunchtime lecture, where Anne-Marie has invited speakers on a wide range of topics. Everything from conflict management, how to create a creative environment, ethics and law or how to write a good application for an ERC Starting Grant and many other useful things that you as a clinical researcher may need to know. Anne-Marie uses the expected study goals that she has set for the network as a starting point, and tries to get lecturers who fit in with each goal.
In the autumn of 2024, a kickoff was organised down at Scandic Plaza, where participants presented their projects and the challenges they experienced with clinical research. The heads of the departments of Clinical Microbiology and Diagnostics and Intervention, and Göran Larsson, R&D Director at Region Västerbotten, were also present. The day was much appreciated by the participants who gained insight into each other's projects and situations. The idea is to do a similar day in the autumn of 2025, as it is important that the participants get to meet, talk and network in addition to the lectures offered.
Anne-Marie started with her own department, where she began pulling strings in her network of contacts, inviting lecturers and clinical researchers to lunchtime seminars. When the Head of Diagnostics and Intervention heard about this, they joined the initiative, and by the end of the year, Medical Biosciences also joined. Now, more departments are joining, and more researchers will have the opportunity to take part in the range of lectures offered by the research network.
The need among researchers is great, something that Region Västerbotten has also recognised. The ALF committee has therefore decided to invest ALF funds to contribute to administrative support now that the research network is expanding.
" Career paths for clinically active researchers are important to the ALF committee. The clinical research network in the Northern Healthcare Region has grown organically at NUS from a need from researchers who combine a clinical career with research. The ALF committee sees great potential in what Anne-Marie has initiated within NUS. By spreading this good initiative to the entire Northern Healthcare Region, all clinical researchers can take part in the research network and its competence development efforts," says Göran Larsson, R&D Director at Region Västerbotten.
From an idea and a need to a research network that will soon cover the entire northern region. The funding will allow the inclusion of all four northern regions, with the idea being that the lunchtime seminars will also be broadcast via Teams.
" The continued development of the clinical research network in the Northern Healthcare Region creates a meeting arena and a platform that supports clinical researchers at different stages of academic development. I see that spreading the research network to the entire Northern Healthcare Region is a natural step in the further development of this initiative," says Göran Larsson.
For Anne-Marie, the driving force is that the research being done today will benefit tomorrow's patients.
" What really drives me is that it is ultimately about conducting clinical research so that we can improve care, and improve diagnostics so that we can better care for our vulnerable patients," says Anne-Marie.
