Clinicians on the frontline

Academic clinicians from the University’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health have been working on hospital wards during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the NHS and put their expertise to use where it could have the most impact.

Not only have they been instrumental in providing high quality care and treatment for patients affected by the disease, but they have also supported families and worked with them to help to enable some communication during a time when friends and relatives have been unable to visit loved ones who were sick in person due to the infectiousness of this new disease.

Prof Maciej Tomaszewski and Dr Greenstein are two such academics. Two things Dr Greenstein spoke about on reflecting on his time during the peak of the crisis were the “complete privilege” of being able to do this work and the intensity of this period. “It was the worst seven weeks of my life. Normally, I do research investigating why hypertension causes dementia. However, during March-May I’ve worked as a Care of the Elderly physician on a COVID-19 ward. I have had unbearably sad conversations with patients and families that have been excruciatingly painful. However, I am incredibly proud to have used my skills to serve this wonderful country during this time of need.”

Academic commitments and leadership responsibilities at the University and beyond did not go away. The academics managed to also find the time to continue with research, supporting their trainees and keeping the morale of their research associates and students up alongside long days at the hospital.

Read more here in our University magazine.