Three SHLS Professors take the reins of world-leading health research

Three Professors from the School of Health and Life Sciences have spoken of their new leading roles and their plans to build on Glasgow Caledonian University’s outstanding impact of world-leading health research.

Head of Biological and Biomedical Science Professor Sharron Dolan has been appointed Associate Dean Research and will take over from Professor Kay Currie in January.

Professor Carol Emslie and Professor Frederike Van Wijck have been appointed Co-Directors of the Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), taking over from Professor Andrea Nelson.

All three are excited and proud to be taking up these important roles only months after the School’s outstanding real-world impact of health research was assessed as joint first in Scotland and joint second in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF).

The University's global reputation as a world-leading provider of health research with real-world impact was driven home with a significant 91% of the University's related research formally classified as world leading or internationally excellent. Over 85% of our world-leading health research was also assessed as having outstanding impact.

Professor Dolan said: “Having the opportunity to shadow Kay before I take over the role in January is a real honour. SHLS research under Kay’s leadership has been nothing short of phenomenal as is evident in the last amazing REF results.

“Kay will be a hard act to follow but I’m really looking forward to this new challenge, and I couldn’t have a better mentor to prepare me for my new role.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with the different research groups across the school to better understand and support their research.

“It’ll be great to work with Professors Emslie and van Wijck as they bring such a breadth of experience and expertise to their new roles, and we will make a great team.”

Professor Emslie said: “I am delighted by the opportunity to co-lead ReaCH and work closely with Professor van Wijck to showcase our brilliant health researchers and build lasting connections with communities, practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders.

“Our outstanding REF results demonstrate our world-class research and impact, and I look forward to supporting our next generation of researchers to make a real difference in the quality of people’s lives in Scotland and around the world”.

Professor van Wijck added: “Having benefited tremendously from being a member of GCU’s Research Centre for Health, and its predecessors, I am really pleased to be given this opportunity to build on the outstanding work done by Professor Andrea Nelson and Professor Kay Currie – and notable others before them.

“I am delighted to be sharing the ReaCH co-lead role with Professor Carol Emslie; by combining our experience in long term conditions and public health research, we endeavour to facilitate new initiatives, and continue to foster an intellectually creative, supportive and productive research environment for the benefit of all our colleagues and students within the School of Health and Life Sciences and beyond.

“We welcome Professor Sharron Dolan to her new role as the incoming Associate Dean Research, who will bring her background in life sciences to the fold.  We really look forward to working in partnership to strengthen our rich, multi-disciplinary research portfolio that makes a real difference to peoples' lives.”

ReaCH makes a direct and significant contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 3 – good health and wellbeing – issued by the United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint for peace and prosperity across the planet.

Pictured (left to right) - Professor Carol Emslie, Professor Frederike Van Wijck and Professor Sharron Dolan.