Karen Spilsbury is professor of nursing and director of research and innovation at the University of Leeds. She is academic director for nurturing innovation in care home excellence in Leeds (NICHE-Leeds), a partnership between care (providers and commissioners) and science (University of Leeds). She leads a portfolio of funded research, providing the leadership and nursing expertise required to engineer interdisciplinary collaborations to help health and care innovate effectively, efficiently and sustainably to enhance quality. Her contribution is recognised through prestigious National Institute for Health and Care Research senior investigator status.