Returning member to the NI Clinical Research Network

June 30, 2025

Lia McNamee is the new clinical scientist research manager for the network. She graduated with a Masters in Physician Associate (PA) studies from Wake Forest University in the USA in 2008. Following graduation, she worked in vascular surgery in Washington D.C. before spending a year in Melbourne, Australia working in orthopaedic surgery.  After making the move to Northern Ireland in 2011, Lia began working as a NICRN research PA in critical care until the first clinical physician associate post was created in 2016 in the Royal Victoria ED department in Belfast where she has been ever since. She has co-authored many publications over the years, primarily in the fields of respiratory failure and was the one of the UK national coordinators for the LUNG-SAFE respiratory study.

Lia has been a keen advocate for the physician associate profession in NI and has taken on many leadership roles to support PAs in the UK, most recently as the vice president for the Faculty of Physician Associates in the Royal College of Medicine. She has also supported Ulster Universities’ PA programme by examining at OSCEs and participating in teaching days.

Lia now rejoins the NICRN in an exciting new role aimed at building up research capacity, encouraging involvement and supporting all allied health professionals on their research journey, ultimately improving and enhancing patient care through evidence based medicine.