Dr Becky Hanna
Programme Manager (NHS Innovations)
NHS Trust Innovations, Commercialisation of Ideas, Innovation Forum events
Becky would describe innovation as creative problem-solving. At the AHSN NENC, she supports NHS Trusts across north-east England to capture innovative ideas from their staff and turn them into novel products and services for the healthcare sector. This is done in collaboration with a brilliant group of Innovation Managers who each cover an NHS Trust in our region. Collectively they meet alongside AHSN NENC team members as an Innovation Forum – one group with a shared purpose.
Becky joined us in January 2022 and has a background in translational research with industry and clinical partners. She studied and worked in fields such as neuroscience, arthritis, and childhood leukaemia, before completing a PhD in dermatology with GSK Consumer Healthcare (UK/USA). She then joined Newcastle University’s Arrow programme, supporting local SMEs to scope their ideas/innovations with expert academics. She has helped the NHS validate new COVID-19 diagnostic tests/equipment, and worked in community healthcare. She is excited to see Innovation grow in the region, motivated by the real-world impact it can have on economic growth and healthcare improvement.