Professor wins award for services to medicine
Thursday 12 July 2018
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A Coventry University professor has won a national award recognising her 30 years of medical science research.
Ala Szczepura, a professor of health technology assessment, won the ‘services to medicine’ category at the English Women’s Awards 2018.
Prof Szczepura’s latest research is in the field of eHealth, robotics, artificial intelligence and brain exercise.
She is the academic lead for a new research programme which is developing and testing new technology to support active ageing in care homes and other residential settings where the majority of residents and staff are female.
This looks at what she calls the ‘glass-cliff effect’ and the gender equality in science for women who break through the ‘glass ceiling’ in medical specialties.
She is a member of the UK Early Cancer Detection Consortium and vice-chair of the Marie Curie Research Programme Funding Committee – a charity that provides care for those with terminal illness
She was a former director of the university’s Centre for Technology Enabled Health and instrumental in its £4.8 million investment to introduce interdisciplinary approaches to new technologies in the NHS.Professor Szczepura has had more than 150 scientific articles published and has undertaken advisory roles, including international training workshops for the World Health Organisation (WHO), and research strategies for the NHS for the government Department of Health.
Professor Ala Szczepura said:
Thirty years devoted to research in medicine and health sciences has shown me how important it is that women in all walks of life believe in themselves and their abilities, and that society recognizes their achievements. I am delighted to receive this award.
The awards is in its first year and aims to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs, business women and professionals.
Candidates were shortlisted based on votes received from the English public via social media and other channels.
