13 December 2024 News
The MND Association, in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR), has awarded the first jointly funded MND Association NIHR Doctoral Fellowship to Kirsty Harrison, a speech and language therapist.
Ms Harrison's research focuses on developing a self-management intervention for eating, drinking, and swallowing for people with motor neurone disease (MND). She will begin the three year Fellowship in January 2025.
This is the first Fellowship offered under a new research charity partnership between the MND Association and the NIHR to investigate ways to improve the lives of people living with MND. The aim is to attract, retain and develop current health and social care professionals, providing opportunities for them to continue or start their careers in MND research. It also enables researchers to receive input from the MND community.
The research will potentially lead to an accessible, practical resource that people with MND, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals can rely on for support.
Ms Harrison's journey into MND research began with her role as a community speech and language therapy team leader through which she witnessed the challenges faced by people living with MND.
I saw people make tough decisions about whether to have a feeding tube and noticed they often continued eating and drinking despite risks. I hope this research will spark an avalanche of enquiry into the challenges of eating, drinking and swallowing in motor neurone disease.
Tube feeding decisions were made against a backdrop of limited evidence-based guidance, sparking Kirsty’s passion for MND research and a desire to bridge this gap.
We are delighted to fund this research by Ms Harrison that could lead to improved care of people living with and affected by MND. This fellowship also adds a new dimension to the MND Association portfolio and is the first health and social care research fellowship we have offered. By attracting, retaining and developing health and social care professionals, we’re aiming to discover new ways to help people diagnosed with this devastating disease.
I’m excited to welcome Kirsty as the first researcher funded under this new partnership with the MND Association. We are committed to helping health and social care researchers tackle the complex challenges, and this award will help improve the lives of everyone impacted by MND.
Most individuals with MND experience swallowing difficulties. This can lead to complications such as weight loss, social isolation and respiratory infections.
This project aims to create a digital intervention offering evidence-based strategies and resources to manage eating and swallowing.
This research is about making eating, drinking, and swallowing easier, safer, and more enjoyable while giving people more control over these aspects of their lives.
About 25% of people with MND opt for tube feeding. Most continue to eat and drink orally, facing significant risks and challenges.
Ms Harrison will work with people living with MND, healthcare professionals, NIHR and the MND Association, ensuring her work reflects the lived experiences of those it aims to support. It will also provide accessible, evidence-based resources tailored to real-world needs.