The charity Anthony Nolan is world-renowned for their stem cell register, matching blood stem cell donors with people in need of a life-saving transplant.
What the charity is less well-known for is the pivotal role it plays in academic research into blood stem cell transplantation, and its partnerships with the biotech industry.
Sarah Rushworth, Senior B2B Marketing Manager, approached me to help with the marketing towards these audiences. “At the time, our organisation faced a skills gap when it came to finding a science writer capable of effectively communicating complex topics to both mass and commercial audiences,” she says.
To help them tell the story of this under-appreciated work, I wrote some blog posts to support their B2B marketing. The target audience for these was decision-makers in academia or industry who were looking to source biological materials or other support for their work.
I wrote up three ‘case study’ blog posts for the charity, based upon interviews with key people involved, each providing a different perspective on their partnerships:
- A unique collaboration to help prevent sight loss: a fascinating and unexpected story about the charity’s role in providing placental tissue to aid the healing of eye wounds after surgery, showing how Anthony Nolan’s impact goes way beyond blood cancers and blood disorders.
- HLA typing – beyond stem cell transplants: highlighting the pivotal role that Anthony Nolan’s research team plays in ‘HLA typing’, a crucial aspect of any transplant to ensure that the recipient’s body and the donor’s cells or organs work in perfect harmony.
- How Anthony Nolan is helping to transform the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: a story about Anthony Nolan’s support for a spin-out company from Belfast, who are looking to improve the healing of diabetic foot ulcers, something which currently costs the NHS more than £1 billion every year.
“The experience was great as Richard is a talented writer and a knowledgeable scientist. His ability to bridge the gap between scientific concepts and layman understanding is perfect for the charity sector. […]
“I would recommend Richard to any organisation seeking a science writer. His combination of scientific expertise and communication skills make him an asset to any project.”
It was a real privilege working with the Anthony Nolan team, highlighting some fascinating and life-changing work which deserves more attention.