Professor White, who is also Chair in Clinical Engineering at Anglia Ruskin University, received the prestigious accolade at the Chief Scientific Officer’s Healthcare Science Awards in March which showcases the contribution that science makes to the NHS and public health.
Professor White manages a team of 52 in clinical engineering at CUH but sets aside one day a week for his passion in research. He has been looking into pioneering ways of assessing cardiac function in different diseases. This groundbreaking, internationally renowned research has been predominantly undertaken at Papworth Hospital.
During his 32 year career, Professor White has been involved in many projects and his research has been integral in improving patient results. The most significant breakthrough he has been involved in is the collaboration with Papworth Transplant Surgeons into the use of non-beating hearts as a source for transplantation. In 2015, the team at Papworth performed Europe’s first heart transplant using a heart that had stopped beating – known as a deceased circulatory donor (DCD). To date, Papworth have performed 28 DCD heart transplants and the programme has doubled the number of transplants undertaken at the hospital.
The procedure involved re-starting the heart in the donor five minutes after death and supplying it and other vital organs with blood and nutrients at body temperature. The organ is then removed and transferred to a heart-in-a-box machine, where it is kept nourished and beating for a further three hours before the transplant surgery at Papworth.
A selection of other major projects Professor White has been involved in are:
- Measuring cardiac function using pressure in the left and right heart ventricle to understand the importance of the right ventricle and ventriculao-arterial interaction in heart failure and congenital heart disease
- Retraining the right ventricular to function more like the left in patients with transformation of the great arteries, a form of congenital heart disease where the pulmonary artery arises from the left ventricle instead of the right, and the aorta arises from the right ventricle instead of the left.
- Changing heart failure management
- Investigating the mechanism behind ischaemic preconditioning , a technique to produce resistance to the loss of blood
- Developing a novel ultrasound indicator to assess contractility. This is now used on many commercial ultrasound scanners.
Professor White said: “Having my research recognised by the Chief Scientific Officer at the Department of Health for the impact it has had to patients and their families is a great honour.
“I feel privileged to work in a multidisciplinary team. Without this unique collaboration none of this research would have been possible. I would also like to thank patients and their relatives who have participated in many studies over the years. Without them we would not have been able to push forward the scientific and clinical boundaries.”
Dr Mike Scott, Lead Scientist at CUH, said: “This is a tremendous accolade for Paul. Healthcare Scientists not only contribute to more than 80% of diagnoses and clinical treatment decisions across the NHS, they are key to delivering innovation through research and development.
“Paul has successfully combined both clinical and academic roles to facilitate significant improvements in diagnostics and in patient care. He is thoroughly deserving of this National award.”
Image: Professor Paul White (right) receives his award from Professor Sue Hill OBE, NHS Chief Scientific Officer, and Professor Sir Jim Smith, Director of Science at the Wellcome Trust
About Cambridge University Hospitals
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) is one of the largest and best known hospitals in the country, delivering high-quality patient care through Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals. CUH is a leading national centre for specialist treatment for rare or complex conditions and a university teaching hospital with a worldwide reputation.
CUH is a key partner in Cambridge University Health Partners (CUHP), one of only six academic health science centres in the UK, and is at the heart of the development of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC), which brings together on one site world-class biomedical research, patient care and education. As part of the Campus development, Papworth Hospital is creating a bespoke, purpose-built hospital, and AstraZeneca is building a new global R&D centre and corporate headquarters. The Campus is one of the government’s 11 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) comprehensive biomedical research centres.
The Trust already works closely with a number of research partners across the Campus, for example, the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the University of Cambridge and The Wellcome Trust, to develop new drugs and new therapies to improve treatment and patient care.
About Papworth Hospital
Papworth Hospital is the UK’s leading heart and lung hospital treating over 100,000 patients each year from across the UK. The hospital includes the country’s largest heart and lung transplant centre, the only national centre for pulmonary endarterectomy and it is a national centre for a range of other specialist services.
Since carrying out the UK’s first successful heart transplant in 1979, Papworth has established an international reputation for excellence in research and innovation, top surgical results and the very best in patient care.
Papworth Hospital carries out more major heart operations than any other hospital in the UK, currently more than 2,500 per year. With regular scrutiny from robust quality performance monitoring systems, the survival rates and outcomes of these operations are among the best in the world.
Papworth Hospital is a member of Cambridge University Health Partners, a partnership between one of the world's leading Universities and three NHS Foundation Trusts. CUHP delivers world-class excellence in healthcare, research, clinical education and improves the health of people across Cambridgeshire and the wider regions.
www.papworthhospital.nhs.uk
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Contacts:
CUH Corporate Communications
Communications Department, Box 146
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
Tel: 01223 274433
Email: [email protected]
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