At HDR UK, we are committed to recognising outstanding contributions and collaborations in health data science. The Susannah Boddie Award for Impact of the Year and Team of the Year Award celebrate the achievements of the people driving real-world impact in the field.

This year, the shortlists and winners of these two awards were selected as part of HDR UK’s Impact Assessment. Their work was also featured in our first Impact Report, which celebrates some of the success stories from across the HDR UK community.

Congratulations to all of the shortlisted candidates and the award winners!

Susannah Boddie Award for Impact of the Year

The Susannah Boddie Award for Impact of the Year is awarded in honour of Susannah, a 27-year-old senior data scientist in 10 Downing Street’s Data Science team (10DS) who passed away in August 2023.

The award recognises work with the highest impact on people’s lives, through the use of health data. Impacts have involved and engaged patients or service users, carers and the public at every appropriate stage of the research project life cycle.

Winner: First whole-population health data study delivers huge public benefits

Research led by CVD-COVID-UK/COVID-IMPACT Consortium has had a direct impact on thousands of lives by addressing public concerns about vaccine safety for specific demographic groups. Their studies have highlighted the risks of under-vaccination against COVID-19, providing insights to support increased vaccination rates and evidence of the risks associated with COVID-19 vaccinations.

By harmonising and mobilising data at a national level, the Consortium has laid the groundwork for future UK-wide, whole population, health data research – far beyond COVID-19.

Steven Kerr, Chancellor’s Fellow at University of Edinburgh, said:

“I’m incredibly proud of our team for conducting research that directly informed national vaccination policy by using UK-wide health data to understand COVID-19 vaccines. By delivering the first-ever whole population study across all four UK nations, we’ve shown what’s possible with large-scale health data analysis and hope this paves the way for future joint analyses that fully harness the power of the UK’s extraordinary health data.”

The panel of expert reviewers said:

“We recognise this project’s remarkable contributions to data science and public health. We were particularly impressed by the project’s large-scale team science approach, mobilising data at a national level to directly influence COVID-19 vaccination policy and public discourse. The project had a clear and tangible impact on thousands of lives.”

Shortlist

Team of the Year Award

This award celebrates team science achievement through collaborative endeavours by groups of researchers, innovators, technologists and others working together, within HDR UK and beyond.

Winner: Tackling missing ethnicity data and biases in research

A working group of the UK Health Data Research Alliance published a White Paper, detailing key steps that must be taken to improve data quality for use in research, clinical practice and intelligence by removing potential widespread biases, through better collection and use of ethnicity data. By tackling barriers to accurate and comprehensive data collection, the group’s work guides policymakers on how to make decisions based on a clearer picture of health at local and population levels – paving the way for fairer and more effective healthcare.

The project is an excellent example of bringing a variety of groups and contributors together around shared challenges and opportunities, with a multidisciplinary, community-driven approach and wide engagement

Ashley Akbari, Professor of Population Data Science Research at Swansea University and Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes & Vascular Medicine at University of Leicester, said:

“By improving the accuracy and consistency of ethnicity data, health professionals, researchers, and policymakers can make more informed decisions, ultimately leading to fairer and more effective healthcare for all communities. It has been fantastic to collaborate with so many passionate and enthusiastic contributors and be recognised by this award as the HDR UK team of the year.

 

“We are delighted to accept this award on behalf of the efforts of our multi-disciplinary group, including members of the public, academics, data owners, policy and service providers. The award reaffirms the importance of our vital work and underscores the progress our group has made in our national work in championing equitable and inclusive healthcare systems.”

The panel of expert reviewers said:

“The team, led by a dedicated subgroup of the UK Health Data Research Alliance, has taken on the critical challenge of tackling coding standards as a key aspect of inequality in health data and is recognised as a “truly multidisciplinary group of professionals who adopted co-creation at its heart”. Their work stands as a testament to the power of collaborative, community-driven efforts in tackling complex issues.”

Shortlist:

 

Hear more at the HDR UK Conference

The winners of each of these awards will be presenting their work at our HDR UK Conference 2025 in Glasgow on 15 – 16 October 2025. There’s still time to get your ticket and join us in person or online.

Learn more about the HDR UK Conference and register

 

Stay tuned for more information about our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Award.