Research winners announced for Elsie May Sykes Awards 2024

19 AUGUST 2024

York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity has awarded two medical research projects vital funding which will hopefully shape future treatments.

Two consultants at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, both with their own individual research programmes, have been awarded funds to support advanced clinical research which will bring innovative applications closer to real-world implementation in the NHS.

The collaborative research projects have shared £15,000 in funding thanks to the Elsie May Sykes Award (EMSA), an annual research award which is awarded by York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity.

The winners are Consultant Surgeon Mr Michael Lim and Consultant Dr Tunde Ashaolu who both work at the Trust.

Consultant Surgeon Mr Michael Lim, a specialist in the treatment of colon and rectal cancer who has worked for the Trust for six years, said the funds would continue to support his collaborative research project with the University of York. 

The project investigates the role of sodium channels in the perpetuation and aggressiveness of colon and rectal cancer.  The aim is to identify and establish new drugs to help treat such patients and improve their survival.  Mr Lim has been working with university scientists for the past four years on the SCION project and said that the money will continue to finance the laboratory work of a research fellow appointed by the Trust.

He said: “I am very lucky to have received this award especially as the research is relevant in improving the care of cancer patients.  It is particularly exciting as it is a project that has numerous links with departments within the organisation and in the university.

“It is hoped that five or ten years from now, we could find a drug that will help improve outcomes from advanced disease.  We want to put York and Scarborough at the forefront of groundbreaking research work.  Research can be costly so funding from the Elsie May Sykes Award is crucial in driving collaborations forward - I would like to thank the charity for providing this support.”

Consultant Dr Tunde Ashaolu, who works in emergency medicine, has developed an algorithm that allows A&E triaging.  In collaboration with the University of York’s Institute of Safe Autonomy he was able to advance this algorithm and work on a prototype robot-assisted A&E triage system called DAISY.

The system and the research represent an important first step towards the development of a solution for automating key stages.

The funds enable DAISY to 'work/triage' at Scarborough Hospital this coming Autumn in form of a clinical trial.  Scientists will be developing his research using his patented AI invention in conjunction with UK Research and Innovation.  It is hoped once granted a licence his research could transform how medicine is practised worldwide.  The research by scientists working at the University of York will examine how Dr Ashaolu’s AI programme will unlock the potential to benefit patients and clinicians.

The research will examine how the programme interacts with patients and if it is suitable to use in a real-life health care environment.  His ground-breaking research, which uses revolutionary robotic technology, would gather patient information quicker and help clinicians reach a faster preliminary diagnosis, giving patients prompt access to treatment and reduce staff stress.

Recently he was invited to The Royal Society in London who presented Dr Tunde with the NHS AI Champion Award.  Dr Tunde, who has published papers on the topic, said money from the award will help pay for a researcher to oversee his project who will collect data and establish if it is safe to use in a controlled environment. 

He explained: “It is quite scary to think that this could change the way medicine is practised – this is entirely new to acute care.  It took five years to write the programme and now we are at the stage where we need to gain knowledge to help us determine if it is the right thing to do.”

Dr Tunde explained he was “forever grateful” to the research team at the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who have worked with him to gain funding for his invention to be researched.