GCU hep C expert headhunted for top Lancet commission

Glasgow Caledonian University hepatitis C expert Dr Dave Whiteley has been invited to join the Commission for The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology on Liver Disease in Primary Care.

The Commission will explore the increasingly important roles of primary care for people with liver disease, from prevention and diagnosis to end-of-life care.

It is envisaged that the Commission will also review the current global landscape of liver disease management in primary care, draw together evidence of best practice and deficiencies, and formulate strong recommendations to improve care for patients.

Researcher Dr Whiteley, lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Community Health and former hep C nurse, said: “It’s a real privilege to be invited onto the Commission, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity.  It’s exciting to be involved in work that has the potential to be so influential in health policy and improving practice, not just in Scotland, but across the globe.

“My recent research explored a more prominent role for primary care practitioners in treating hepatitis C, and it was that which led the Commission Chair, Dr Helen Jarvis, to invite me to participate.  The remit of the Commission is much wider than hepatitis C though, so it’s going to be a fantastic chance to work with and learn from a team of experts from around the world.

“The Lancet family of journals are probably some of the best known in healthcare, even my mum had heard of it, so it’s really an honour to participate.  We have our first meeting in September and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Dr Whiteley is a member of the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) and Substance Use research groups in the School of Health and Life Sciences’ Research Centre for Health (ReaCH).

GCU's research strategy is underpinned by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Dr Whiteley's research makes a direct and significant contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing - issued by United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint for peace and prosperity across the planet.