MHLS nominees

Dr James Reihill | Research Award - Winner

School of Pharmacy

"Dr James Reihill is a highly accomplished Senior Research Fellow with dual-track experience spanning academia and industry, and a specialised focus in respiratory research. Seconded to Almac Discovery as Principal Investigator, James is leading innovative efforts to evaluate deubiquitinases as potential therapeutic targets for chronic respiratory diseases. This ground-breaking work, for which he serves as PI, is supported by a £116K grant from Innovate UK/MRC and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust UK. Overall, he has been successful in procuring £650K in research funding in roles as PI/Co-I. Demonstrating his ambition and leadership, James has submitted an application for a £1.15M MRC Career Development Award with the aim to establish his own research team and solidify his international partnerships. James has made significant contributions to the scientific community, with high-impact publications, conference presentations, and peer-review contributions. His commitment to education and mentorship is reflected in his recognition as an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and in his role as co-supervisor for successful Ph.D. candidates. James is also committed to sustainable research practices via his role in the LEAF committee, contributing to our department's recognition for sustainability. His excellent academic performance makes him an exemplary candidate for the Research Excellence Prize."

Dr Trisha Forbes | Citizenship and Outreach Award - Winner

School of Nursing and Midwifery

"It is our pleasure to nominate Trisha Forbes for the citizenship and outreach award. Trisha is an inspiration and a passionate postdoc representative for the School of Nursing and Midwifery, particularly active in building a positive community among researchers. She goes the extra mile in making new members of staff feel welcome and included, as well as organising informal gatherings. Since becoming involved with the Renal Arts Group, Trisha has facilitated a number of successful events, including the dissemination of research to non-specialist audiences, for example during the NI Science Festival. Trisha has also organised inspiring events with international partners from the World Health Organisation, the Philippines, the United States and the Republic of Ireland. Trisha has been a highly active Trustee for the NI Mental Health Arts Festival since 2019, fulfilling the role of Chairperson on the Board. This voluntary role has involved leading on successful funding applications, including from the Baring Foundation, Belfast City Council, Mental Health Foundation and Arts Council of NI. Trisha has acted as line manager for the Festival Co-Ordinator and Wellbeing Coordinator for all those involved in the Festival. Trisha’s drive, motivation, collegiality and passion make her a very deserving winner of this award."

Dr Yahya Dallal Bashi | Support Award - Winner

School of Pharmacy

"It’s with great pleasure that I nominate Yahya Dallal Bashi for the 2023 PDC Postdoc Award. I believe that Yahya Dallal Bashi is the best choice for the award because he has made significant technical contributions to our and other groups on 5^th MBC floor, consistently guiding and supporting BSc, MSc and PhD students with patience, enthusiasm, and professional competence. His technical proficiency is beyond doubt, but it's his humility, kindness, and strong sense of responsibility towards students at all levels and colleagues that set him apart. His extensive assistance in the lab, including invaluable help with HPLC troubleshooting, technique issues, and method development, has been crucial to the research development of PhD students. I have been working with Yahya in Prof Karl Malcolm’s group from 2018 to now. I received lots of academic and experimental support from Yahya during my whole PhD studies. His technical proficiency and his admirable personal qualities make him a highly deserving candidate for this recognition. I am certain that this accolade will further fuel his enthusiasm and commitment to research."

Research award

Ashleen Crowe (School of Nursing and Midwifery)

Carolyn Blair (School of Nursing and Midwifery)

Fatemeh Mirzadeh Azad (Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research)

Gareth Thompson (School of Nursing and Midwifery)

James Reihill (School of Pharmacy)

Maeve Palmer (School of Biological Sciences)

Parisa Naeli (Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research) - Nominated by 2 individuals

Prabhath Mapa Piyasena (Centre for Public Health)

Qonita Kurnia Anjani (School of Pharmacy)

Raheleh Amirkhah (Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research)

Ruoyu Wang (Centre for Public Health)

Thomas Thompson (School of Pharmacy) - Nominated by 3 individuals

Support award

Fatemeh Mirzadeh Azad (Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research) - Nominated by 3 individuals

Fernanda Godoy Santos (School of Biological Sciences)

Ione Avila-Palencia (Centre for Public Health) - Nominated by 3 individuals

James McMahon (Nursing and Midwifery) - Nominated by 2 individuals

Jane Burns (School of Pharmacy)

Joana Sa Pessoa Graca Santos (Wellcome-Wolfson Institute For Experimental Medicine) - Nominated by 6 individuals

Nicholas Dimonaco (School of Biological Sciences)

Sarah Abdulmalek (School of Biological Sciences) - Nominated by 7 individuals

Yahya Dallal Bashi (School of Pharmacy) - Nominated by 4 individuals

Citizenship and Outreach award

Danielle Logan (Centre for Public Health)

Jessica Eyre (Wellcome-Wolfson Institute For Experimental Medicine)

Lisa Douglas (School of Pharmacy)

Niamh O'Kane (Centre for Public Health)

Sarah McKenna (Centre for Public Health)

Trisha Forbes (School of Nursing and Midwifery) - Nominated by 7 individuals