Dr Veighey identifies and promotes research training opportunities for research fellows in Southampton, and runs the Research Leaders’ Programme.

She is a postdoctoral NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice, having re-entered training following five years as a Consultant in Renal Medicine.

Establishing Southampton’s kidney research group

After graduating in Medicine from Queens' University Belfast, Kristin spent time in Australia and Norway. She did her pre-registration year at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). She remained in Wessex for the remainder of her junior medical training, before starting specialist training in Renal Medicine in North Thames.

She moved to University College London to do a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology and Nephrology. She was a key part of a team that delivered the REnal Protection Against Ischaemia Reperfusion in transplantation (REPAIR) study. This demonstrated the potential for a simple, safe and virtually cost-neutral intervention, remote ischaemic preconditioning, to improve long-term kidney transplant function.

After completing her nephrology training in Wessex at Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust, Kristin became a Consultant at the Wessex Kidney Centre.

There she established a Renal Research Group in Southampton. This allowed her to collaborate with the Primary Care and Public Health research teams at the University of Southampton. It also enabled her to work on a project on burden and capacity in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Changing tack to General Practice

Following this, Kristin was inspired to change tack, and secured her current role as an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice.

She intends to continue her research. This includes pursing her interests in the use of simple interventions to improve outcomes in patients with long-term conditions such as those with CKD or multiple health conditions.

Supporting Southampton’s research fellows

Kristin has been involved with the Research Leaders’ Programme (RLP) since it first began in 2020. She was part of the team who put forward the business case to the UHS trust board, and subsequently took on the role of leading its management and delivery.

She oversees the running of the RLP programme, and is responsible for overall decision-making and budgetary oversight. Her role involves making sure RLP award holders are on track to achieve what they said they would, identifying any barriers and ensuring those who need it receive extra support.

Kristin says that the most rewarding aspect of the role is seeing the RLP awardees develop professionally, acquiring new skills and growing in confidence as researchers.