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National Clinical Leads appointed in key specialties
14th February 2017
As part of the restructuring of the NHS Research Scotland Network, the Chief Scientist Office has appointed National clinical leads to Ageing, Dermatology, Ophthalmology and Dermatology.
These roles provide national leadership in the development of clinical research activity in Scotland and ensure the effective delivery of research projects within the specialty including increasing the number of patients enrolled into trials.
Respiratory - Professor Adam Hill, NHS Lothian
Professor Hill is a graduate from the University of Glasgow where he obtained his MD Thesis in 1991. After a spell working as a Specialist Registrar and Clinical Research Fellow in Birmingham he returned to Scotland in 2001 as Consultant Respiratory Physician at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He is Respiratory Infection Lead and has special interest in Bronchiectasis, Community Acquired Pneumonia and Tuberculosis. He is actively involved in clinical and translational research and was in the committee for the British Thoracic Society Bronchiectasis and Pneumonia Guidelines and Scottish TB National Guidelines. He is Honorary Reader at the University of Edinburgh and involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate training. He is also the Associate Post-Graduate Dean for Quality Management for South-East of Scotland.
Ophthalmology - Dr Roshini Sanders, NHS Fife
Dr Sanders is a graduate of Glasgow University and completed her ophthalmology training in Glasgow, Dundee and London to take up a consultant ophthalmology position with special interest in glaucoma at NHS Fife's Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline. She has an established interest in postgraduate education. She was chair and founder member of the Scottish Glaucoma Club in 2004. Her main areas of research are glaucoma, cataract and electronic communication and in 2012 she was appointed Research Specialty Lead for Ophthalmology in Scotland by the Chief Scientist Office, Edinburgh.
Dermatology - Dr Richard Weller, NHS Lothian
Dr Richard Weller is Honorary NHS Consultant Dermatologist, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Senior Lecturer in Dermatology. He graduated in Medicine (1987) at St Thomas’ Hospital, University of London. He trained in general medicine in Britain and Australia (MRCP 1990, FRCP (Ed) 2006) and trained in Dermatology at the St Johns Institute of Dermatology, London and in Scotland.
His research training (MD, University of London, 2000) took place in the laboratories of Prof Victoria Kolb-Bachofen (Immunbiologie, Heinrich-Heine Universitat, Düsseldorf, Germany. 1998-99) and Dr Tim Billiar (Dept of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, USA. 2000-02). His two main clinical and research interests are in eczema, and into the nitric oxide mediated interactions between sun exposure and health. His eczema interest is focussed on the roles of anti-microbial peptides, particularly beta-defensins on skin function, and on the immunological and clinical response of eczema patients to phototherapy. His more long standing interest in cutaneous Nitric oxide has led to the identification of a novel UVA driven, nitrate derived NO production from the skin, which lowers BP and probably accounts for the cardiovascular benefits of sunlight exposure. His original work on NO production in the skin identified an anti-microbial action of skin surface produced nitric oxide.
In addition to his UK work, RW has taught at the All Africa Leprosy, TB and AIDS Rehabilitation and Training Centre (ALERT) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia every year for the last 5 years.
Ageing - Dr Susan Shenkin, NHS Lothian
Dr Shenkin graduated from Edinburgh University (MBChB) in 1994, having done an intercalated BSc (1st class Hons) in Psychology. After a general medical rotation in Oxford, and a neurology SHO job in London, she returned to Edinburgh to train in Geriatric Medicine. Under the mentorship of Prof John Starr (geriatric medicine) and Prof Ian Deary (psychology) she was awarded an MRC Training Fellowship investigating lifecourse influences on cognitive ability and cerebrovascular disease in older age. During this fellowship she obtained an MSc in Epidemiology (Distinction), graduating in 2002. and was awarded her MD in 2006. Much of her training has been undertaken flexibly (less than full time). She has been working as a clinical academic (Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant) in geriatric medicine at the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian since 2011.
NRS Specialty Groups cover 14 specialties which, together with the 7 Topic Research Networks and 3 Research Champions, provide the coordinated support and advice required to deliver clinical research in Scotland. Each Specialty Group is responsible for overseeing research activity at a national level within the clinical area, and identifying and resolving recruitment issues in collaboration with the NHS R&D offices within each node. Specialty Groups are also instrumental in developing links between researchers across Scotland, in order to ensure that studies are supported as widely and effectively as possible. Each Specialty Group also works within the broader UK Clinical Research network, including the NIHR CRN, and equivalent structures in Wales (NISCHR) and Northern Ireland (NICRN).
