ABOUT US

We are the only NIHR MIC dedicated to paediatrics and child health

NIHR MICs

NIHR Children and Young People MedTech Co-operative (NIHR CYP MedTech) is one of the 11 MedTech and In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operatives (MICs) funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The aim of the 11 MICs is to work with clinical teams, academics, businesses, and service users to support the development and adoption of new medical devices, healthcare technologies, and technology-dependent interventions in the NHS.

NIHR CYP MedTech is the only MIC dedicated to child health and paediatrics.

NIHR CYP MEDTECH

NIHR CYP MedTech works clinical teams, businesses, academics, charities, children, young people, and families to support the development and adoption of technology for child health and paediatrics.

We work across NHS and NIHR infrastructure to support the development of child health technology. We work particularly closely with:

  • NIHR MICs
  • NIHR Local Clinical Research Networks (LCRNs)
  • Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs)
  • NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs)
  • Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

Our core team co-ordinate and oversee all NIHR CYP MedTech activity, and are based at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

THEMES

NIHR CYP MedTech focuses on early stage technology development and prioritises innovations that fit within our seven themes. Each theme is led by one or two leading clinicians based at various NHS Trusts across England. Our seven themes are:

  • Cancer
  • Epilepsy, Movement, and Muscle Disorders
  • Neonatal Technologies
  • Rare Diseases
  • Respiratory, Sleep, and Ventilation
  • Surgical Technologies
  • Transition (cross-cutting theme)

We can support innovations outside of these themes through the TITCH (Technology Innovation Transforming Child Health) network.

CORE TEAM

PROFESSOR PAUL DIMITRI

DIRECTOR

Professor Paul Dimitri is Director of NIHR CYP MedTech and the TITCH network. Paul is also Vice President for Science and Research at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). Paul has led on the development and implementation of national technology networks that focus on the development and adoption of technology for paediatrics and child health through private and public sector collaborations to ensure children and young people receive the best and most advanced healthcare. Paul currently works at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust as a Professor of Child Health, Consultant in Paediatric Endocrinology, and Director of Technology and Innovation.

NATHANIEL MILLS

PROGRAMME MANAGER

Nathaniel Mills works across both NIHR CYP MedTech and NIHR Devices for Dignity MedTech Co-operative as a Paediatric Programme Manager. Nathaniel is a trained nurse and prior to his role with NIHR CYP MedTech was the lead nurse for the South Yorkshire Clinical Research Network (CRN) (now called the NIHR CRN Yorkshire and Humber). His passion and drive for this role comes from the belief that children and families should be at the centre of medtech development, and that openness, honesty, and transparency within innovation leads to good outcomes.

DR PHILIPPA HOWSLEY

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Dr Philippa Howsley is a Senior Project Manager for NIHR CYP MedTech. Prior to joining NIHR CYP MedTech, Philippa worked as a Research Psychologist at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust investigating how psychological wellbeing affects young people’s transition from paediatric to adult health services. Philippa has over 13 years’ experience conducting and managing research studies in academic, clinical, and educational settings.

DR GEMMA WHEELER

PROJECT MANAGER

Dr Gemma Wheeler is a Project Manager for NIHR CYP MedTech. Prior to joining the team, Gemma worked as a Design Researcher at Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University, exploring how to foster meaningful, creative collaboration between diverse stakeholder groups in health research. Gemma has over 8 years’ experience of planning, conducting, and managing research studies spanning product, service, and intervention co-production.

JACOB BRANCHFLOWER

PROJECT MANAGER

Jacob Branchflower is a Project Manager for NIHR CYP MedTech. Prior to joining NIHR CYP MedTech, Jacob worked in Patent Examination at the European Patent Office, Munich, performing examination of patent applications for novel innovations in the healthcare, biotechnology, and chemistry sectors. Jacob also has industrial experience designing and managing the development of cell based assays for use in biopharmaceutical drug development.

JESS MCNEILL

PROJECT MANAGER

Jess is a Project Manager for NIHR CYP MedTech. Before joining the team, she worked in the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Clinical Research Facility where she managed a portfolio of studies covering infectious diseases, rheumatology and gastroenterology. During her postgraduate studies, Jess developed experience in applied developmental genetics, molecular cloning assays and quantitative confocal microscopy (used MATLAB to develop an interactive cell classification algorithm).

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