Two research teams from the Wessex region have been recognised with prestigious National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Impact Prizes 2026, celebrating research that has delivered significant, real-world improvements to health and care.
The awards recognise the achievements of the CHAIN Hip Osteoarthritis Research Team, led by Bournemouth University (BU) and University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), and the HARMONIE Trial Team, led by researchers at University Hospital Southampton (UHS). Both teams were honoured at an awards ceremony in London on 24 September 2026.
The NIHR Impact Prizes recognise researchers and teams whose work has transformed health and care outcomes in the UK and beyond, as part of the NIHR’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
Helping people manage hip pain and reduce the need for surgery
The CHAIN (Cycling against Hip Pain) programme, developed by Bournemouth University, University Hospitals Dorset and BH Live Active, was recognised for improving care for people with hip osteoarthritis. Since its launch in 2013, the programme has combined education and structured cycling sessions to help participants manage their condition and stay active.
Osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of disability among older adults in the UK. Research shows participants achieve better hip function than with standard physiotherapy care, and more than half have not gone on to require surgical intervention.
Professor Tom Wainwright, Professor of Orthopaedics at Bournemouth University and Consultant Physiotherapist at University Hospitals Dorset, said:
“Being recognised for this award is testament to the hard work that BU clinical academics, researchers and UHD NHS clinicians have done over the last 10 years to bring this programme to the community.”
Vivienne Galpin, Health and Wellbeing Manager at BH Live Active, Bournemouth, said: "Through our involvement in CHAIN since its launch, we have witnessed participants develop the confidence, motivation and skills needed to remain physically active long after the programme has ended. It's a privilege to deliver this programme, and it's fantastic to see it's been recognised with an NIHR award."
Dr Peter Wilson, Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Dorset, said: “We are an ageing population and increasingly we are seeing more patients with osteoarthritis that need either surgery or physiotherapy. This NIHR award recognises that alternative treatments, like the ‘CHAIN’ programme, can make a real difference to patient outcomes, as well as reduce physiotherapy waiting times and financial demand on NHS services.”
Professor Rob Middleton, Professor at Bournemouth University and Orthopaedic Surgeon at University Hospitals Dorset, added: “Hip replacements cost the NHS over £6,000 per patient, so avoiding surgery for hip problems reduced the burden on the NHS, saves money, and provides better outcomes for patients.”
Protecting millions of babies from RSV
The HARMONIE trial has transformed protection against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a leading cause of infant hospital admissions. Co-led by experts from University Hospital Southampton, the University of Southampton, St George's University Hospital and the University of Nottingham Health Service, the international study showed that a single dose of the long-acting antibody nirsevimab reduced RSV-related hospitalisations in infants by 83%.
The findings have informed immunisation programmes worldwide, with the treatment now approved in more than 50 countries and given to over 11 million children.
Professor Saul Faust, Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility: Southampton and co-lead investigator for the HARMONIE trial, said:
“This award recognises the dedication of an extraordinary team effort. HARMONIE brought together multiple parts of the NIHR research infrastructure to work alongside NHS organisations, academic partners and industry collaborators to design and deliver a large, pragmatic trial at unprecedented speed and scale.
“Seeing this research translate into policy change and protection for millions of babies around the world is an achievement shared by everyone involved.”
Paul Grundy, Chief Medical Officer at University Hospital Southampton, said: “Research matters because of the difference it makes to patients, families and healthcare systems. We are proud that research led from Southampton is making such a significant difference to lives around the world.
“We are also incredibly grateful to the thousands of families who chose to take part in the study. Their contribution has helped generate evidence that is now influencing healthcare policy internationally, reducing serious illness in babies and helping to ease pressure on health services.”
Research changing lives
Commenting on this year's winners, Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said:
"I offer my warmest congratulations to all the excellent winners and commended teams of this year’s NIHR Impact Prizes, who have all made a crucial contribution to changing lives through research."
The achievements of both the CHAIN and HARMONIE teams demonstrate the breadth of research excellence across the Wessex region, from protecting millions of babies from serious respiratory illness worldwide to helping people with chronic joint pain remain active, independent and out of hospital. Together, these award-winning programmes highlight the power of collaborative research to improve lives, strengthen health services and deliver benefits far beyond the communities where the work began.
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