New speciality leads appointed
Four new speciality leads have been appointed by the NIHR Clinical Research Network Thames Valley and South Midlands (LCRN) to oversee studies in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.
Speciality leads help the LCRN to develop clinical activity within their specific research area by encouraging clinicians to participate in NIHR-supported studies and engaging with national specialty leads to support the delivery of national objectives.
Mr Andrew McAndrew, the new lead for Musculoskeletal Disorders, is also the LCRN’s lead for Injuries and Emergencies. He works as an consultant trauma surgeon at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and has been a principal investigator on more than 10 NIHR-backed orthopaedic trauma trials.
Dr Vanessa Raymont, the new lead for Dementias and Neurodegeneration and Mental Health, is a senior clinical researcher at the University of Oxford's Department of Psychiatry and a chief investigator on studies into Alzheimer's disease. Her main research interests are in traumatic brain injury, memory disorders and cognitive impairment.
Prof Jack Satsangi of the University of Oxford’s Translational Gastroenterology Unit is the new lead for Gastroenterology. His research focuses on the genetics of inflammatory bowel disease and discovering biomarkers that allow personalisation of care for patients.
The new lead for Stroke is Dr Alastair Webb, a consultant neurologist at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. His research focuses on the physiological relationship between blood pressure, cerebrovascular physiology and stroke risk.
