A surgeon at Gobowen's orthopaedic hospital is celebrating after winning a prestigious prize for a research paper written during her time as a fellow at the Hospital.

Karen Shepherd, now a Consultant Orthopaedic and Oncological Surgeon, was awarded the Alan Darby Prize in Musculoskeletal Tumours for her research paper on prostate cancer and bone disease.

The prize is awarded to the trainee who publishes the most prestigious research paper on tumours and is named after Dr Alan Darby, a former Consultant Orthopaedic Pathologist at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital.

Miss Shepherd was delighted to receive the award, and believes it has been the start of her career.

She said: “I am absolutely honoured, and still completely in shock, to be the latest winner of the Alan Darby Prize.

“My paper focused on factors that influence prognosis and the expected development of metastatic bone disease in prostate cancer.

“I didn’t at all expect it to be considered the most prestigious tumour paper out of my fellowship year.

“Since I published the paper, I’ve gone on to my first consultant appointment at RJAH, working with patients who have primary bone cancers and metastatic bone disease as well as soft tissue tumours, which was always part of my long term ambition as a trainee.

“Before I decided to train as a doctor, I was a qualified therapeutic radiographer and also completed a PhD in quality of life and cancer treatment outcomes, which is where my passion lies.

“The team I work with in the tumour service are forerunners in tumour research and I feel very privileged to be working alongside them.”

Karen has been a consultant with the tumour team for one year, and in this time has received several other accolades as well as the Alan Darby Prize.

She said: “My first year as a consultant really has been so memorable. Already I have been working as an academic and clinical supervisor to orthopaedic trainees in our Unit.

"I was nominated for Trainer of the Year by Charlotte Tunstall, specialist registrar. She worked so hard and very much became part of our team."