Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine has scooped up two nominations at the Times Higher Education Awards 2024.
Described as the “Oscars of Higher Education”, THE Awards celebrate the talent, innovation and commitment of people across all aspects of university life.
LSTM has been shortlisted in the International Collaboration of the Year category for the REDRESS research project, and for best Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year for the Health Equity Liverpool Project (HELP).
Winners of the 20th-anniversary edition of the THE Awards will be announced on 28 November at a ceremony in Birmingham.
These nominations follow on from last year’s awards, when LSTM was shortlisted for the coveted University of the Year Award.
REDRESS
The International Collaboration of the Year prize recognises exceptional projects or joint ventures carried out between a HE institution and one or more international partners, and focuses on collaborations at a strategic level.
REDRESS is a collaborative research project that tackles severe stigmatising skin diseases (SSSDs) in Liberia. Over the last five years, the team has been working to improve care, integrate mental health support and combat marginalisation and discrimination for people affected by skin Neglected Tropical Diseases.
REDRESS brings people affected by severe SSSDs, their families and communities, alongside research partners and the Ministry of Health in Liberia together to generate innovative contextually relevant solutions to ongoing challenges. By adopting a person-centred approach, they identify, test and adapt health interventions to improve the equitable management of skin NTDs.
Impact continues beyond REDRESS with inclusion of learning in key Ministry of Health policy and programming for other West and Central African countries, and in informing global guidance documents.
Dr Laura Dean, Reader of Social Science and International Health at LSTM, and academic lead on REDRESS, said: “Being shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award is a huge honour for our partnership and reflects the dedication and commitment of all of our collaborators who work together alongside persons affected by skin NTDs to generate positive change in Liberia and beyond”.
REDRESSS is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), with additional support from the Anesvad Foundation. REDRESS is jointly led by LSTM and the Ministry of Health, Liberia, with collaborating partners: University of Liberia, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Action Transforming Lives, Queen Margaret University, Effect:Hope, American Leprosy Mission and The Carter Center, Liberia.
HELP
The Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year award recognises the most innovative and original initiative in knowledge exchange or transfer.
HELP has established local, creative-led interventions in underserved communities in Liverpool, building trust and addressing misinformation on public health issues, from cancer screening to childhood immunisation.
The project is led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and funded by Liverpool City Council, and involves partners including the Infection Innovation Consortium: iiCON and Capacity Development International. It focuses on strengthening the interface between primary care and communities, and builds on a successful pilot project which addressed vaccine equity in Liverpool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its second phase broadened its health equity focus to include low uptake of childhood immunisation (MMR), cervical and breast cancer screening.
Professor Miriam Taegtmeyer from LSTM, Principal Investigator leading on HELP, said: ““Our work to combat avoidable and unfair difference in health in Liverpool is an example of what universities can achieve when they work in close partnership with local authorities and communities. I am extremely pleased that HELP has been recognised by the THE Awards for its innovation and originality in exploring new ways to achieve positive health outcomes for underserved communities in our region.”
THE Awards
The 2024 THE Awards received a record number of entries, demonstrating the strength of LSTM’s submissions.
John Gill, THE’s editor, said: “In 2024, it’s fair to say that higher education is going through a challenging period, but these awards are a constant reminder that we should never underestimate the drive and dedication of those who work in our universities to transform lives for the better.
“Enthusiasm for these awards as a way to showcase those achievements remains undimmed, with more entries in our 20th year than ever before. Our sincere congratulations to all those shortlisted in such a competitive year – it really is an achievement to have reached this stage.”