Edge Hill University Professor to receive prestigious NIHR senior Investigator Award
Greg Irving, Professor of Primary Care and Director of the Health Research Institute at Edge Hill University, has been awarded a prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator Award, the first time this nationally competitive award has been conferred on a member of Edge Hill University staff and one of a handful of academic GP to ever receive this award nationally.
NIHR Senior Investigator Awards are among the most selective and prestigious honours in UK health and care research, recognising a small number of senior academics who demonstrate internationally leading research excellence, sustained impact, and national leadership. Award holders are selected through a highly competitive process and are recognised not only for the quality of their research, but for their influence on policy, practice, and the wider research system.
With this appointment, Professor Irving joins the College of NIHR Senior Investigators, which currently comprises around 200 active members nationwide, representing the very highest tier of health and care research leadership in England.
Professor Irving is also the NIHR National Specialty Lead for General Practice within the NIHR Research Delivery Network, providing national leadership for the development and delivery of research in primary care settings across England. He works clinically at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre run by Merseyside and West Lancashire Trust which host an NIHR Primary Care Research Hub.
The funding associated with the Senior Investigator Award will be used to build primary care research capacity, supporting clinicians, practices, and early-career researchers to engage in and lead high-quality research. This includes strengthening research leadership, expanding opportunities for participation in research within general practice, and ensuring that studies reflect the needs of patients and communities.
Professor Irving has made a sustained contribution to applied primary care research, playing a key role in embedding research in everyday clinical practice and fostering collaboration between universities, the NHS, and community partners.
Speaking about the award, Professor Irving said:
“I am extremely honoured to receive an NIHR Senior Investigator Award. The funding will be used to help build primary care research capacity, supporting clinicians, practices, and emerging research leaders to develop and deliver research that makes a real difference to patient care. I am particularly proud that this is the first award of its kind for Edge Hill University.”
The award represents a significant milestone for Edge Hill University, reflecting its growing national and international profile in health and care research and its commitment to research that delivers tangible benefits for patients, practitioners, and communities.
Edge Hill University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor George Talbot said:
“I am delighted to congratulate Greg on this prestigious award. As Director of our Health Research Institute Professor Irving displays excellent leadership by example. Translating ideas into action is a pillar of our new strategy and the research of his team will make palpable changes to the lives of so many people across the North West and ensure that our teaching inspires the next generation of health professionals ”
The NIHR Senior Investigator Award supports senior researchers to undertake strategic leadership activities, including mentoring, capacity building, and shaping the future direction of health and care research in England.
Everybody from Edge Hill University would like to congratulate Professor Greg Irving on being awarded the NIHR Senior Investigator Award.
Edge Hill interns showcase health research in Parliament
Medical students, taking part in National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded internship, have proudly presented their health research projects at a prestigious event in Parliament.
Posters in Parliament takes place annually in the heart of UK Government and brings together a remarkable collection of the best undergraduate research from across the country in an academic poster exhibition.
Bringing together 60 students from higher education institutions nationwide, the event showcased an inspiring breadth of research across disciplines.
Judi Kayali’s research explored how community-based approaches can enhance support for children’s mental health, emphasising the need for sustainable and accessible interventions beyond traditional clinical settings.
Mawara Mazhar’s project examined global variations in GP consultation length and considered the implications for World Health Organisation tracer indicator development. In an exceptionally competitive field, Mawara was shortlisted for the overall ‘Best Communication of Research’ prize.
Victoria Easton, Integrated Clinical Academic Training Officer, who also attended the event, said: “What an inspiring day at Posters in Parliament.
“Both projects exemplify the growing strength of clinical academic undergraduate research at Edge Hill University and demonstrate the meaningful contribution our students are making to national and international policy conversations, from primary care systems to children’s mental health and beyond.”
Edge Hill education lecturer awarded grant by International Olympic Committee
Dr Barnaby Sargent Megicks, lecturer in physical education and youth sport, was awarded the grant by the organisation’s Olympic Studies Centre as part of its PhD Students and Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme.
His work was one of six research projects selected for the international award and he was the only United Kingdom-based recipient.
Dr Sargent Megicks’ project, titled ‘Development and initial validation of the holistic talent development environment questionnaire’, builds on his previous research relating to youth sport performance.
He said: “The project aims to develop an applied tool to examine the culture of youth sport performance environments in relation to how they support health, education and life skill development.
“While it is an early career researcher grant, so awarded to individuals, I am collaborating with colleagues at Edge Hill University, Nottingham Trent University, Leeds Beckett University and Loughborough University.”
Education academics contribute chapter to cutting-edge book on disability in physical education
Clare Woolhouse, Leon Fraser and Simon Dougherty, from Edge Hill University’s Secondary and Further Education department have contributed to the Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Methods for Researching Disability in Physical Education.
The handbook, written by leading researchers from around the world, addresses how visual methods of research are being applied to disability and physical education for the first time.
The Edge Hill team discuss their use of photographs as a visual stimulus during research with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They focus on themes of inclusion and the importance of children’s voices in guiding how educational engagement in schools can be transformed.
Dr Clare Woolhouse said of the publication: “We really enjoyed being part of this publication. We hadn’t written together in this way before, but it was great to find ways in which our various pieces of research complemented each other.
“We were all utilising different forms of visual methods in order to better support SEND children’s engagement with physical education and it has been wonderful to learn from each other and share our experiences through the process of writing.”
Clare, Leon and Simon provide case studies to show how their methods can contribute to a greater understanding of the physical education experiences of pupils with disabilities to inform how teaching and learning for all children can be designed and implemented more effectively.
March 13, 2026
