Name and role

My name is Ayesha Musa and I am a Foundation Year 2 doctor.

Why did you apply for the NIHR API Scheme with BSRBR-RA?

I first heard of the BSRBR-RA study from my educational supervisor. It seemed like an excellent study to be involved in especially as I was going to weekly rheumatology clinics

What have been the benefits of being part of the scheme?

The scheme has been great for my development and as an introduction to research. Keys skills that I gained included:

• Learning more about the behind-the-scenes processes of a national research study
• Practice consenting patients
• Delivering presentations
• Building confidence in advocating for research

Were there any challenges?

I found that initially recruitment was a challenge, but I worked with the research team to overcome these and managed to recruit new patients as well as providing follow-up data for patients already in the study during the scheme.

What one piece of advice would you give future APIs?

Speak to as many people as possible and if you are stuck, ask for help. The chances are that someone will have a quick way of resolving things.

Ayesha successfully completed her NIHR Associate PI training with the BSRBR-RA study on the 24^th April 2025 at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary – Well done Ayesha!

For more information, visit the NIHR’s website – NIHR API Scheme

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