An NHS Lothian nurse has become the first nurse in Scotland to have been awarded a prestigious three-year Chief Scientist Office Early Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.
The Fellowship, hosted by the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, has typically been awarded to doctors, but NHS Lothian nurse and clinical academic Kath Williamson was one of four recipients chosen in the 2024 round, starting her Fellowship in February 2025.
Prof Juliet MacArthur, Chief Nurse Research and Development for NHS Lothian, said: “On behalf of my colleagues across NHS Lothian, I want to express how proud we are of Kath’s remarkable achievement. Securing a Chief Scientist Office Early Postdoctoral Fellowship is a significant milestone in any clinical academic’s career, but to be the first nurse in Scotland to do so is truly groundbreaking.
“Kath’s success is a testament to her dedication, expertise, and the value of supporting nurses to pursue research careers. The University of Glasgow’s School of Health & Wellbeing provides an excellent environment for her work, with its strong focus on tackling health inequalities and improving care for underserved populations. We look forward to seeing the impact of her research and clinical innovation in bariatric care, and the inspiration it will provide to other nurses across Scotland.”
Kath’s Fellowship programme of work includes the HOPE (Housebound Obesity Pathways and Engagement) study, looking at how housebound people with obesity access weight management interventions. The wider aim being grant applications for a trial of weight management for housebound people with obesity, with outcomes including improved function, quality of life, mental health and reduced service utilisation.
Alongside research, the Fellowship enables Kath to develop new clinical practices in a first of its kind role as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for bariatric care in the community, one day per week. This unique role, hosted by Community Nursing in Midlothian HSCP, aims to support more effective cross-sector care, in a clinical area where the evidence base is poor but care needs are rising.
Kath, has over 25 years of experience with NHS Lothian in a variety of different roles, including District Nurse, bank nurse, NRS Fellow and most recently, Manual Handling Advisor. Since 2016, Kath has been supported in developing her research career through the Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professional (NMAHP) Research Capacity Building Programme, led by Prof Juliet MacArthur and Andy Peters.
Kath
“I hope that being the first nurse to be awarded a CSO Early Post-doctoral Fellowship will bring other opportunities to role model and promote the potential for nurses to be successful in pursuing clinical academic careers.”
