New managing director and six programme directors appointed to UCL Partners
11 June 2009
Seven key appointments for UCL Partners (UCLP), Europe's largest academic health science centre, were announced today.
They comprised a Managing Director of the partnership and six Programme Directors who will lead research themes in infectious diseases; neurological disorders; eyes and vision; child health; women's health; and immunology and transplantation.
UCLP comprises five of London's biggest and best known hospitals and research centres: UCL (University College London), Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust (GOSH), Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).
It was designated as one of the UK's first academic health science centres by the Department of Health in March 2009 after a rigorous selection process, and will bring together the combined skill and expertise of its clinicians and researchers
to focus on the identified themes. Appointments for the cardiovascular and cancer themes are pending and will be announced in the near future.
The appointments that have been made are as follows:
Managing Director
Professor David Fish is currently Medical Director for the Specialist Hospitals within UCLH. These have included provision for neurosciences, women's health, cardiovascular disease and dentistry, as well as services at UCH for cancer and the care of children and young people. He has also been Professor of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at UCL since 2000. In 2008 he became Chair of Monitor's Medical Director's Advisory Group, supporting clinical engagement to improve health care management across Foundation Trusts. In 2006 he became a fellow of the British Association of Medical Managers, and is committed to recognising medical leadership as a full time speciality.
Programme Directors
Child health
Professor David Goldblatt is Professor of Vaccinology and Immunology and Head of the Immunobiology Unit at the UCL Institute of Child Health, as well as a Consultant Paediatric Immunologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust. He is also the Director of Clinical Research and Development for the joint Institution and Director of its affiliated National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Specialist Biomedical Research Centre.
Eyes and vision
Professor Peng T Khaw is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor of Glaucoma and Ocular Healing at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. Professor Khaw is also Director of the affiliated National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Specialist Biomedical Research Centre, and Director of Research and Development at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Immunology and transplantation
Professor Hans Stauss is Clinical Director of Immunology, Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Royal Free Hospital, as well as Head of the UCL Immunology Centre focussed on Cancer Immunology and Immunodeficiency.
Infectious diseases
Professor Deenan Pillay is Head of the UCL Research Department of Infection, and Honorary Consultant Medical Virologist at UCLH. In addition he is Head of HIV and Antivirals at the Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency and Theme Lead for Infectious Diseases in the UCLH/UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre. His research interests are in antiviral therapy, particularly for HIV, antiviral drug resistance, and molecular epidemiology of HIV spread.
Neurological disorders
Professor Alan Thompson is Director of the UCL Institute of Neurology and a Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery. He is also Deputy-Director of the UCL/UCLH Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre.
Women's health
Professor Judith Stephenson is Margaret Pyke Professor of Sexual & Reproductive Health at the UCL Institute for Women's Health. She is also Head ofhe UCL Research Department of Reproductive Health, and holds Honorary Consultant contracts with UCLH in Women's Health and with Camden PCT in Public Health.
Speaking about the appointments, Sir Cyril Chantler, Chair of UCLP, said: "We are delighted to announce the appointments of this group of highly qualified and skilled academics and clinicians. It is another key milestone for UCLP and means that we can move forward with our plans to focus attention on the disease themes we have identified, with the ultimate aim of translating advances in medical research into treatments that will benefit patients."
The Managing Director is the principal accountable executive officer of UCL Partners Ltd and will support the Chair and partners in ensuring that the Board achieves its annual objectives. They will also establish effective working relationships
with a wide range of senior managerial, research and clinical staff across the partner organisations and with external stakeholders across UCLP's membership and in academia, the NHS, research funding organisations and government.
The Programme Directors are accountable to the UCLP Board via the Managing Director and are responsible for the strategic development of their research theme and for building key relationships across the partnership and beyond, working closely in that regard with the UCL Vice-Provost for Health, who is the Academic Director of UCL Partners, and their clinical and managerial colleagues across the Partnership.