• Professor Ian Maidment has received a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator Award
• The award recognises his outstanding leadership contributions to the work of the NIHR and his excellent track record of securing NIHR funding
• Professor Maidment is the first academic at Aston University to receive the honour.

Professor Ian Maidment at Aston Pharmacy School has received a prestigious Senior Investigator Award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR gives the award to researchers in recognition of outstanding leadership contributions to the work of the NIHR and an excellent track record of securing NIHR funding.

As a senior investigator, Professor Maidment will act as an ambassador for NIHR, and help to guide strategy and tackle challenges in the health and social care landscape. He will join the NIHR College of around 200 senior investigators. Professor Maidment is the first academic at Aston University to receive the award and one of few pharmacists in the UK to receive such an award.

Professor Maidment joined Aston University in 2012 as a senior lecturer, which marked his first step into academia after more than 20 years working in the NHS, both as a pharmacist and leading R&D. During his time in the NHS, he published 40 papers in peer-reviewed journals. These formed the basis of a PhD by previous publication, and Professor Maidment was the first person to obtain a PhD at Aston University by this route. He was promoted to reader in 2018 and a full chair in 2022.

Professor Maidment specialises in the health care of older people and those with mental health conditions, and the use of medication to treat them. This includes projects investigating the long-standing and international healthcare priority of managing anti-psychotic weight gain. From this research project, guidance will be developed both for patients and practitioners. His research with older people has identified the need to focus on reducing medication burden and investigating the link between some medications and dementia.

He also studies how to best use the expertise of community pharmacy to improve outcomes, for example in COVID vaccination and more recently how to make independent prescribing by community pharmacy work better; the importance of this issue was identified by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The award also recognises Professor Maidment’s strong links with the NIHR and critically his continued role in supporting its work. This includes mentoring other researchers, leadership and contributing to the development of the NIHR.

Professor Maidment said:

“Optimising medication in the real world is a key research priority; about half of all people struggle with adherence to medication. Much of my research has been focused on bringing the patient voice to key research questions. If we can fully understand the patient and family carer view, then we can start to get the medication right.”

Professor Anthony Hilton, Aston University pro-vice-chancellor and executive dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, said:

“Professor Ian Maidment’s NIHR Senior Investigator Award is a well-deserved recognition of his exceptional research in medication safety and the care of older adults and people with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia. His work has not only advanced academic understanding but has also shaped real-world healthcare practices, improving outcomes for patients.

“This achievement reflects his dedication, expertise and commitment to impactful research and his outstanding leadership contributions to the work of the NIHR. At Aston University, we are delighted to celebrate Ian’s success and the significant contribution he continues to make to the field.”