After joining the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic back in 2011, Dawn Lyle has been a steadying force behind the Clinic’s MS and neuroimmunology research portfolio. By bringing her previous expertise in clinical research, Dawn has been intrinsic in supporting and delivering MS research studies and clinical trials at the Anne Rowling Clinic.
As Dawn moves into retirement, it is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with her and to celebrate all those years of dedication, collaboration, and impact.
Average reading time: 4 minutes
After much deliberation I have made the difficult decision to retire from my role as MS & Neuro-immunology Hub Manager at the Anne Rowling Clinic. Looking back over my career I have been very fortunate to work with many wonderful and inspiring colleagues. For me though, the most important people have always been the patients I have been lucky enough to meet through my years working in the NHS, and over the last 24 years working as a Research Nurse.
I started my nursing career in the mid 1980’s after being inspired and encouraged by a family friend who was a senior nurse at that time. I have had a very fulfilling career working in a wide range of areas from acute medicine, coronary care to neurology intensive care to research nursing.
Whilst working in a ward I was invited by a doctor I knew to take part in a research trial, having no experience of clinical research I was intrigued to find out more and as part of the trial met a research nurse who (he doesn’t realise this) influenced my career from that point forward. I was fascinated by the role and scope of the research nurse job, I really wanted to be part of that excitement around investigating new treatments to improve people's lives, this gave me a real sense of having an impact and making a difference.
I started my first research job in 2001, I was fortunate to be part of a new initiative of developing research facilities within NHS Lothian, joining the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at the Western General Hospital as it opened. I was involved in many research projects in different specialities, but I happened to meet Dr Belinda Weller, an MS Consultant who wanted to carry out MS Research. I was bowled over by Belinda’s enthusiasm and obvious dedication to her job and her patients. We subsequently worked together on many MS trials, and she nurtured my fascination in, and understanding of the impact MS has on individuals and fuelled my passion to want to make a difference to this group of patients.
Through Dr Weller and Prof Siddharthan Chandran, I got the opportunity to join the research team at the newly opened Anne Rowling Clinic; joining the team in 2011 before the Clinic was even built. I have had the subsequent pleasure and honour to work alongside Prof David Hunt and many other MS clinicians on ground-breaking MS trials and have led the Clinic team in the delivery of our growing number of MS research projects.
It is great to see younger nurses and clinical staff joining the team and having the opportunity to grow professionally and see how they are enthusiastic by the research and have a genuine hope that we can impact the lives of the research participants we meet every day. If my only achievement is to have inspired someone to follow a career in research and, more importantly for me, MS research I can retire happy.
Retirement will involve lots of travel to far off places I have always wanted to visit, and most importantly, being able to spend quality time with family and friends. I will also closely follow the Clinic and look forward to hearing about the findings of our research projects. If I had one lasting wish it is that one day, there will be a treatment to slow down MS progression. I have been witness to the impact progression has on peoples’ lives and am acutely aware that having the potential ability to slow down the rate of this progression would impact so many people's lives.
We wish Dawn our very best in her retirement and many safe journeys to far off places!