Meet the 2025 Winners: Claire Marie Nolan, MS, PhD & Linzy Houchen-Wolloff, PhD
Dr Claire Nolan is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy in Brunel University of London, UK and an National Institute for Health Research Advanced Fellow.
Dr Nolan completed her PhD in Imperial College London in 2018 on gait speed and prognosis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Her research interests include strategies to increase engagement in and alternative models of rehabilitation programmes for people living with chronic lung conditions and multiple long-term conditions. She has expertise in intervention co-design, mixed-methodologies, as well as feasibility and randomised controlled trials.
Dr Nolan is Chair Elect of the American Thoracic Society Pulmonary Rehabilitation Assembly Programme Committee, a committee member of the British Thoracic Society Quality Standards for Pulmonary Rehabilitation committee, and Impact Champion for the Department of Health Sciences, Brunel University of London.
Dr Houchen-Wolloff has worked in the field of rehabilitation for almost 20 years and is a Senior Research Physiotherapist within the Centre for Exercise and Rehabilitation Science (CERS) at The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, UK. Linzy graduated from Coventry University in 2006 with a first-class honour’s degree in Physiotherapy. She was successfully awarded her PhD in 2012 with the thesis entitled ‘The effects of resistance training and protein ingestion on skeletal muscle function in COPD.’
Her areas of interest and expertise include exercise testing in patients with COPD, pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, Long Covid, self-management, maintenance PR, patient and public involvement (PPI) and quantitative methodology. She is also an active member of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and chairs the web committee of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Assembly. Linzy has had 3 symposia accepted at ATS conferences, chaired sessions for the PR assembly and was an author on the most recent ATS Pulmonary Rehabilitation Clinical Practice Guidelines and the preceding workshop report on 'Defining Modern Pulmonary Rehabilitation.'
Description
This award is given to a PR Assembly member (primary or secondary) who has recognized scientific contribution(s) to the principles and practice of pulmonary rehabilitation and demonstrated meaningful contribution(s) to the PR Assembly activities. Relevant research contributions may include but are not limited to: program structure, program content, outcomes or outcome measures, skeletal muscle dysfunction, exercise training, adjuncts to exercise training, mechanisms underlying benefits of PR, education, self- management, health-enhancing behavior change, social or psychological support, knowledge translation and program accreditation. Applicants may have previously received an Early Career Research Achievement Award.
Criteria
At time of submission nominees must be a maximum of 15 years from date of highest research degree, or, if no research degree, from date of first faculty appointment (career disruption will be considered).
Proposers must submit a nomination package including:
- Details and confirmation of the nominee’s status as a primary or secondary member of the PR Assembly
- Date of conferral of doctoral level degree
- Date of first faculty appointment (if applicable)
- A one page letter from a primary member of the Assembly describing the nominee’s contributions (including to the Assembly/ATS) and why the award is appropriate
- The nominee’s curriculum vitae, including details of career disruption where relevant.
Applications will be scored on the basis of the details provided in the submitted nomination.
Awards will only be given where suitable candidates are nominated.