A website aiming to raise an awareness about pneumonia, provide easily accessible knowledge and resources.
Hello my name is Stefan Banin-Plockey, I am one of the student ambassadors working for the Pneumonia Research Study Team and a participant of the Flu Vaccine study. I was first recruited for the Trial by one of the research nurses back at IGH Day in 2015, following a successful screening process I was invited to take part in the study a couple of months later. This was my first ever clinical trial so I was quite nervous to begin with, but all the nerves quickly disappeared after my first appointment, it was such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere on the ward which made for an enjoyable visit and before I knew it the trial was over, but not before choosing the delightful but entirely optional bronchoscopy. I guess for most people that would have been enough, although for me, I wanted to help out a little bit more, so I was delighted to be offered the role of Research Ambassador (RA).
As an RA, I got to experience the other side of the coin and helped recruit volunteers during the 2-day Liverpool University Freshers Fair. It was quite the experience with both days having no shortage of students to hand, with a great mix of responses to suit. As a participant myself, it was a lot easier to relate to other students, as I could use my personal experience to help put other students minds at ease. Which with the help and experience of the other RA’s and Research staff, I think really paid off, with a healthy number of volunteers signing up over the two week recruitment drive. Thus it was really good news to hear that our hard work was paying off, as I went to help out at IGH Day 2016 and thus coming full circle working beside the very same team who recruited me the previous year.
Overall it has been a great pleasure to work for the Pneumonia Research Team and even more so when I was kindly invited to the Christmas meal at the Old Blind School, hence a big thank you to all involved and I look forward to another great year ahead.
STEFAN
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Ambassadors
My name is Anna Cykowska and I am a Research Ambassador working for the Pneumonia Research Study Team. My story is a bit different than the other Research Ambassadors because, although I have tried to take part in the clinical trials, I was ineligible, due to some health problems and medication involved (which only shows how seriously they take any contraindications for volunteers not to take part in the studies).
Luckily, I was also a student of Medical Sciences at University of Liverpool, and I was working on my research project with the Respiratory Research Team at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. I quickly became involved with the Pneumonia Research Study Team. Soon enough, working on a research project about pneumonia, I was able to appreciate the importance and impact of the studies. It has been an absolute pleasure working with both research and clinical teams! I got to see both sides of the story - the recruitment of volunteers and the "science" part - how samples are analysed, how the data is obtained, and how conclusions are drawn. More importantly, I got to see how important are clinical trials and how immense impact they have on the development of science and healthcare nowadays.
One thing is sure, being a part of Pneumonia Research Study Team for almost a year, I think it's safe to say that they are the best team I have ever worked for.
ANNA