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UCL Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre lead awarded for innovation
10 June 2019
Dr Manjula Patrick (Co-Director, DCAL Continuing Professional Development and Centre Administrator), who is helping organisations improve their services for people with hearing loss, was honoured at the UCL Awards for Innovation and Enterprise 2019.
Exceptional staff, students and alumni from across UCL were recognised for their outstanding range of innovative work, spanning drug discovery and regenerative medicine through to virtual reality exploration of arts and culture.
The wide range of innovation and enterprise activities at UCL were showcased, with Dr Manjula Patrick, who is helping organisations improve their services for people with hearing loss, receiving an award.
“The award win came as quite a big shock. I was delighted to be shortlisted but wasn’t expecting to win!” said Dr Patrick.
“From a business perspective, hearing loss is becoming more predominant. It currently affects 11 million people in the UK but is predicted to increase to 15.6 million in 2035. That’s how many potential service users, clients, students, talented people are being excluded because of poor deaf awareness.”
Reflecting on the awards, Dr Celia Caulcott, Vice-Provost (Enterprise), commented: “Excitingly, we’re seeing more and more brilliant minds from across our entire community taking their ideas out into the wider world in a variety of different ways, including partnering with charities and businesses, developing bespoke short courses for professionals, providing consultancy and creating new businesses.”
“Nowhere is this more in evidence than in the incredibly high standard of this year’s awards. As we strive to develop a culture of innovation and enterprise across UCL, these awards can provide an inspiration to our students, staff, alumni and partners.”
The awards capped off a hugely successful 12 months for innovation and enterprise activities at UCL. Highlights include a £438 million investment in UCL gene therapy spinouts and a team of UCL undergraduates who won the $1m Hult Prize.
UCL Innovation & Enterprise works with UCL’s diverse community of staff, students and alumni together with external organisations and businesses, to bring ideas to life for the benefit of society and the economy.