The UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (QSIoN) is a world leading research Institute and has a significant teaching and training portfolio, with nearly 500 graduate students. The Institute employs ~750 staff, and hosts ~300 honorary & visiting staff, all located in a complex and large estate. Our mission is neuroscience discovery research and it’s translation into diagnostic and disease modifying treatments for patients with neurological diseases. We aim to understand and tackle some of the world’s biggest health challenges including for example dementia, stroke, and epilepsy; working in closely partnership with the National Hospital. The IoN has grown very significantly in recent years and currently has over £300m in active external research grants and is in the advanced stages of a £281m new translational neuroscience building to open in 2024.
In order to enable effective strategic planning and progress, I have expanded the team of Deputy Institute Directors to work with me and our Institute Manager, Dr Helene Crutzen. This expanded deputy team will work closely with Heads of Research Departments, and many other IoN colleagues, to facilitate the delivery of the Institute’s strategic priorities 2022-2027, working in close alignment with the Faculty.
I am therefore now very pleased to announce the appointment for the following IoN Deputy Director positions, following a rigorous internal recruitment process. The new Deputies are in the following keys areas:
- Partnerships and Communications – Professor Selina Wray (Department of Neurodegenerative Disease)
- Education and Student Experience- Professor Alex Leff (Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation)
- Sustainability and Climate Change- Professor Sanjay Sisodiya (Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy)
- Enterprise, Translation and Advanced Therapeutics- Professor Dimitri Kullmann (Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy)
I hope you will join me in congratulating them on their new roles The newly appointed Deputies will work alongside the existing Deputy Directors: Professor Gipi Schiavo, Deputy Director Strategy, Queen Square-GIR Dual-Hub, Philanthropy (Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UK DRI at UCL), and Professor Helene Plun-Favreau, Deputy Director Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Department of Neurodegenerative Disease).
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Linda Greensmith for her great and dedicated work as Deputy Director over recent years. She has made invaluable contributions including in partnerships (including the Neuroscience Domain), education, supporting ECRs, EDI and the new GIR building. Linda will continue to serve as Head of Research Department of the IoN Department of Neuromuscular Diseases.
Professor Michael Hanna, Director of UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology.
“I’m delighted to be appointed as the Deputy Director of Partnerships and Communications. Partnerships are a key part of our success in translational neurology and I look forward to working with our internal and external partners and developing our communications strategy to showcase our and celebrate achievements as widely as possible.” Professor Selina Wray
“Improving the student experience is at the centre of all of our educational initiatives at Queen Square. Our aim is make Queen Square the first choice for postgraduate students interested in translational neuroscience, by creating a wonderful learning environment here for them.” Professor Alex Leff
"The world's climate is changing now. Global heating and its consequences will greatly affect our lives and work in the years ahead. For people with neurological diseases, and for research into those diseases, climate change is likely to pose significant challenges, which is in our remit and power to address. I very much look forward to working with all across the Institute to do what we can to meet these challenges, to reduce our contributions to climate change, and to promote sustainability." Professor Sanjay Sisodiya
"I am delighted to have been entrusted with these important responsibilities. I look forward to helping to make the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology a world leader in translating fundamental discoveries for the benefit of patients with neurological diseases. UCL already has a very high profile in advanced therapies, as demonstrated by several successful spinouts in other areas, and the appetite for genomic medicines from industry and investors has never been so high." Professor Dimitri Kullmann