Clinical Lecturer Testimonials
Chris Smith, CL
I am an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Acute Care working at Warwick Clinical Trials Unit and in Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW). I undertook an ACF in South Yorkshire a long time ago (2008-2011) and took a little while to find the right PhD. I completed an NIHR Doctoral Fellowship and PhD in Health Sciences in February 2021. My research interest is in improving the community response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. I evaluated a mobile-phone, app-based volunteer first-responder system and the potential for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use for cardiac arrest as part of my PhD. I am currently investigating the delivery of AEDs using drones, working with colleagues in Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the commercial sector.
Tim Robbins, CL
I am an NIHR Clinical Lecturer working across University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW) and Warwick Medical School. I completed my PhD in Engineering at the Institute of Digital Healthcare, WMG at the University of Warwick. Clinically, I work as a Diabetes, Endocrinology and General Medicine Registrar. My active interests are in digital health and healthcare systems having gained previous international experience in the United States and the Basque Country through a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship and an Albert Renold Fellowship. Recently, I participated in the inaugural Health Education England Topol Digital Health Fellowship Scheme and am currently completing an MBA with Coventry University. I have been involved in the clinical, academic and organisational response to the COVID-19 pandemic at UHCW. My particular interests are in data driven research methodologies for diabetes and chronic diseases.
Petra Hanson, CL
I am an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Warwick Medical School (2022–2026), with research interests in metabolic medicine, obesity, digital health, and the clinical application of mindfulness. I began my academic training as an Academic Foundation Trainee in 2012, followed by Academic Clinical Fellowship training, and have remained an academic clinician throughout my postgraduate career. I am due to complete specialty training in Diabetes and Endocrinology in July 2026.
My research focuses on developing scalable, patient-centred interventions that support self-management and improve long-term outcomes for people living with metabolic disease. I have completed feasibility studies evaluating mindfulness-based approaches in people with type 2 diabetes and heart failure. I currently serve as Chief Investigator on a multisite NIHR-funded real-world evidence study evaluating the long-term health and economic impact of the digital tool Gro Health W8Buddy in specialist weight management services (NIHR208100). I also supervise a PhD student investigating the role of digital tools in supporting mental health among people living with type 1 diabetes.
In 2021, I completed a Topol Digital Fellowship focused on implementing digital technologies in obesity care, and in 2022, I was selected for Cohort 6 of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme.
My long-term research vision is to lead the digital transformation of obesity care across the UK and internationally, integrating behavioural science, digital health, and clinical care to deliver personalised, scalable interventions that improve health outcomes.
Active Projects
- Chief Investigator: Long-term health and economic impact of using digital tool Gro Health W8Buddy to support people accessing specialist weight management services (NIHR208100)
https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR208100 - Supervisor: Going beyond HbA1c for type 1 diabetes using health apps: What is available, what works, and how do they address patients’ unmet needs
https://www.t1med-research.com/ - Co-investigator: SBRI Healthcare study supporting women with long-term and chronic health conditions through an adaptive, personalised digital health tool ("GroW").