‘Nexus Connect is a great forum’

Dr Christopher McKee is the managing director of health software company Ledidi (UK). Prior to this he was business development and innovation manager at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and a visiting research fellow at the University of Leeds. His PhD in oncology and clinical biology was awarded by Newcastle University in 2013. He is one of the key speakers at NEXUS Connect, taking place on 25 April as part of Leeds Digital Festival.

The best thing about working at Ledidi is that the work we are doing feels meaningful and will, in the end, have a powerful beneficial impact on people’s health and well-being. Our team shares a strong vision where better and more efficient use of health data will bring valuable insights to help us solve health challenges and improve sickness prevention, patient treatment and healthcare services. Besides from that, my job also offers a lot of flexibility and a Scandinavian approach to running the company. The Norwegians certainly know how to balance work and life, and this is very much reflected within the company, which has its headquarters in Oslo. This attitude is something I am keen to ensure is maintained at the Ledidi office in the UK, moving forwards as we continue to grow and expand.

Healthcare services and academic institutions are becoming more digitally driven across all services, and as such, the demand for services that help manage and understand data will only continue to grow. Professor Ben Goldacre summarised this very well in their report published last year that ‘Healthcare professionals and researchers are surrounded by data but starved for insights’. This statement is at the core of what Ledidi is bringing to the market, as the software was developed by clinical researchers who experienced the same reality in their daily work. Our software, Ledidi Core, has been built from the ground up as a true Software as a Service (SaaS) solution by clinicians and academics to address the ever-growing issues of safe and secure data capture, management, and analytics. Furthermore, it is vital that the results and the insights that come thereof are shared with communities of mutual interests and not isolated. This is a key principle that has been embedded into the functionality of Ledidi Core, establishing a simple but effective system for secure collaboration. Ledidi Core is built with confidential computing, making it possible to make use of public cloud services in compliance with European privacy and information security regulations. Researchers and clinicians can collaborate on analysing sensitive data without exposing their raw data to each other, hence protecting the privacy and confidentiality of their patients and research participants throughout the process. The approach to successful data management in healthcare will not change overnight, but we are here to provide a collaborative approach to getting there alongside clinical, commercial and academic partners.

Nexus is a superb location to bridge the gap between academics and SME’s like ourselves and provides a friendly environment to engage between all parties for mutual benefits. Being a health tech company and having Nexus as a base also comes with many advantages, as the Leeds General Infirmary is just across the road. This, along with being a part of the University of Leeds, provides access to renowned researchers, clinical academics and professionals, which are all vital for companies like Ledidi to collaborate with and succeed. Nexus has become a true flagship for the Leeds city region (one of the UK’s fastest-growing digital health markets), and it is a pleasure to be a part of it.

Nexus Connect is a great forum which isn’t too formal and provides a platform for companies and speakers to engage with a broad audience of potential collaborators – people who you wouldn’t necessarily be able to meet otherwise. The setting is a friendly one, and previous Nexus connect events I have been able to attend have always proved to be fruitful and well-attended. I am very much looking forward to presenting at this next event.

‘Smarter Research, Deeper Insights’ has been a key phrase for Ledidi from its early days as a startup company and highlights the purpose for which it was founded. Although the company has now expanded its use cases beyond research, the core principle remains the same – better management and aggregation of our health data leads to deeper insights into its underlying meaning and provides users with the ability to act upon them.

A lesson I learnt early on in my career (especially as I started to manage a team) was the ability to delegate effectively. As we become more embedded in our roles and build experience, we often choose to take tasks on ourselves rather than rely on others. This eventually leads to reaching your capacity and quite quickly at that. Delegation is an often-overlooked skill for self-management, and also to allow others to learn and grow alongside you to become a more effective unit as a whole. Although it seems a simple thing to learn, it is surprisingly tough to get right. I have a lot of appreciation for those that have shown me how to apply this skill and do this correctly.

I have a few activities I like to undertake to relax. I’m always keen to go hiking/mountaineering with the dogs or do some indoor rock climbing if I get the chance. Travelling to new and exciting locations all over the world is certainly something I have a passion for where time allows. Leeds is also a great spot for food lovers like myself, so I’m often found trying out different venues across the city. Otherwise, I’m a pretty keen gamer and music lover and often enjoy painting for the board game collection I have amassed over the years.

Book your free tickets to Nexus Connect here.

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