Marie Nelson

Marie qualified as a registered nurse in Brighton in 1992 and has worked in a variety of settings, including gynaecology, in the community, and a specialist head and neck unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

After gaining a BA (Hons) in Health and Care at Portsmouth University, Marie started her career in clinical Research in 2007 at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. As an Ophthalmology Research Nurse, Marie co-ordinated and delivered the local day to day activity for a wide range of clinical research studies . Marie worked closely with patients when recruiting to each of the research studies; she ensures that their experience of the research study is both pleasant and rewarding. Gaining a MSc in Evidence Based Practice in 2013, Marie undertook hew own piece of research with patients within ophthalmology.

Marie has acted as Co-investigator and Principle Investigator on a range of studies and supported protocol development within ophthalmology, subsequently being invited to act as Advisory Consultant for Roche Pharmaceuticals UK National Advisory Committee for the UK Lampalizumab Clinical Trial Programme.

From August 2015 to 2021 Marie was a lead matron for Research at UHS, overseeing the Trust Wide Research Team. The team delivers a wide portfolio of inpatient and outpatient research studies covering all specialities and phases. Marie was responsible for the day to day leadership and management of this team and its portfolio of studies

Now as R&D Head of Nursing and Health Professions, Marie has responsibility and oversight for the research delivery teams across the Clinical Research Facility, Trust wide and cancer teams. Her role involves professional and clinical leadership, driving the integration of research throughout the trust, development and delivery of the R&D and trust strategies and to promote connection and joint working with nurses, care teams and the University of Southampton to deliver research opportunities to patients and healthy volunteers, and those within our multidisciplinary teams wanting to develop and deliver research.

Marie is currently a member of the NIHR working group for the implementation of the AHCS Accredited Register for Clinical Research Practitioners, contributing to the development of the scope and standards for the register and is currently a national verify for the pilot roll out. Marie has presented both nationally and internationally on developing and supporting the role of the clinical research practitioner and the creation of innovative new roles within research delivery.

Marie is also a member of the Royal College of Nursing Research Society Clinical Research Nurses sub-committee working to promote the role and work of those working in clinical research.