New researchers welcomed into our community

We brought together those new to research at our annual event ‘Connecting New Researchers’. 

SoAR co-hosted this year’s event with the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). It was held at the Axis Conference Centre on Thursday 13th November 2025.

The event provided a wonderful opportunity to welcome newly appointed health researchers at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) into the world of research.

Kick-starting their research career

Attendees included NIHR Academy Members, new UHS research award holders, and research delivery fellows and trainees. They came together for an afternoon of insightful talks and networking opportunities, helping to kick-start their research career in Southampton.  

The event began with a networking lunch. This gave the new researchers a brilliant opportunity to get to know each another before the talks began.

This was followed by a welcome and overview from our SoAR Co-Directors, Dr Kristin Veighey and Professor Lynn Calman, and BRC Academic Career Development Lead Professor Mark Johnson.

Dr Karen Underwood, UHS Director of Research & Development, also highlighted the vital role of research in driving innovation and excellence across the institution.

Learning from the experts

An early career researchers (ECR) session allowed attendees to explore the variety of research career pathways available. This was led by Dr Dan Owens, R&D Clinical Research Fellows Lead, with Dr Colleen Deane and Dr Dakshat Trivedi, BRC ECR Co-Leads.

The new researchers also engaged in a Q&A with an expert panel. This included Professor Ahilanandan Dushianthan, Professor Matthew Loxham and Dr Zoe Saynor.   

The afternoon culminated in an engaging introduction to Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE). This was run by Annemarie Hankinson, PPIE Lead.

Making new connections

Throughout the half-day event, there was dedicated time to network and make new connections.

As well as the networking lunch, there was also a ‘speed networking’ session. This gave attendees the opportunity to quickly meet and get to know a variety of different people.

Overall, the day provided an invaluable opportunity to meet and make connections with other researchers new to Southampton. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of the event.