Gateshead Health Speech and Language Therapist Smruthi Venkat has joined the inaugural cohort of the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Health and Care Professionals Internship Programme. Smruthi attended the official welcome event on Monday 20 April 2026 at The Boiler House on the Newcastle University campus to begin her journey into academic research.
Smruthi, who works as part of the Adult Speech and Language Therapy team said: “I am looking forward to the next nine months and the opportunity to develop my research skills through this programme. It is a fantastic chance to look at how research can be applied to everyday practice, and I am excited to bring that knowledge back to my team to help improve the care we provide to our patients.
“As part of the internship, I’ll be completing training in qualitative research methods and patient and public involvement, while using 1:1 supervision to help map out my future as a clinical-academic.
“I hope my future research will benefit stroke survivors in Gateshead and across the UK.”
Lorna Dace, Associate Director of Allied Health Professionals at Gateshead Health said: “Smruthi makes a significant professional contribution to our Trust and is a constant support to her team. This internship is an excellent next step for her career and will allow her to develop even further as a leader in healthcare research. It also reinforces our commitment to building a research active allied health professional workforce that strengthens the culture of care “
The programme is funded by the NIHR and co-hosted with Newcastle Health Research Partnership and Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
This nine month internship provides registered health and care professionals with a £10,000 award to develop research skills through a personalised learning plan.
Find out more about the internship programme.