September 4, 2018, by Rob Ounsworth
New Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellors to support delivery of world-class research
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, has unveiled a reshaped team of Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellors to support the University of Nottingham’s vision of delivering exceptional research that transforms lives.
Reporting directly to Dame Jessica, the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellors will provide additional leadership in driving the University’s Research Vision.
Dame Jessica said: “In the first year of our refocused Research Vision, we have made significant progress, including an increase in research funding and recruitment of further outstanding researchers. To build upon these successes and achieve the greatest possible impact from our world-leading discoveries, we are continually looking at working together in new ways, to better support our people and align their research outputs with UK and global strategic priorities. This requires expertise and dedication and a passion for discovery, together with agile, proactive responses to a challenging funding and policy landscape.
“I’m delighted to welcome colleagues into new and reshaped positions, and once again thank all those who continue to offer exceptional support in established roles.”
Professor Chris Gerada becomes the new Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Industrial Strategy, Business Engagement and Impact.
He will provide leadership in the development and successful implementation of the University’s strategies for knowledge exchange and business engagement, as well as supporting our response to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy.
Professor Gerada will work closely with the faculties and international campuses to ensure a integrated approach to our global innovation and business engagement.
Chris has worked at the University since 2005 after undertaking his PhD at Nottingham on High Performance Aerospace Electrical Drives. He was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Electrical Machines in 2013 and served in a number of senior management roles including Dean of the International Academy of Marine Economy and Technology and as Vice-Provost for Research at the Ningbo campus. Professor Gerada leads Electrical Machines and Drives research activities in the Faculty of Engineering and has a particular research interest in propulsion electrification. He is also the executive director of the Nottingham Electrification Centre, an innovation platform for electromechanical technology commercialisation.
Professor Gerada said: “I am very excited to have been appointed to this role and will be looking forward to working with Dame Jessica Corner and other colleagues across the institution to address the challenges facing a world-leading, research-intensive university as it enters a critical but exciting period of development.”
Professor Lucy Donaldson is the new Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Graduate School and Researcher Career Development.
Professor Donaldson, who takes on the role from Professor Ed Wilding, joined the University in September 2013 as Professor of Sensory Physiology and is based at the Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre, which has a mission to pursue international excellence in multidisciplinary, translational research, thereby enhancing understanding of arthritis pain and improving its treatment.
Lucy is a neurophysiologist with expertise in neuronal function in acute and chronic pain, particularly in arthritis but also other painful conditions. Her research group concentrates on aspects of neuronal signalling in chronic pain, working towards the goal of furthering our understanding of the ways in which the nervous system responds to peripheral injury, and contributing to the more effective treatment of pain, by the identification of novel analgesic targets and the development of new, and the better understanding of existing analgesic drugs.
She is a co-founder of University of Nottingham spin-out company Exonate Ltd, which is focused on the discovery and development of small molecule drugs that modulate alternative mRNA splicing for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular oedema.
As Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Graduate School and Researcher Career Development, Professor Donaldson is responsible for promoting research excellence and research career development for academic staff, research staff and research postgraduates.
She said: “As a relative new comer to the University of Nottingham, I am very excited to be able to contribute to our success as a global research-intensive University. I look forward to working with Dame Jessica Corner, colleagues in Research and Knowledge Exchange and across the University, particularly in the Graduate School, to enhance the opportunities and support for researcher career development.”
Dr Richard Masterman continues as Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research Strategy, Policy, Performance and REF.
Dr Masterman provides strategic leadership for and contributes to implementation for key strands of the Research Strategy, including the Global Research Themes and Research Priority Areas, working with the GRT leads, and working with academic champions of our international research portfolio across the University.
Reporting to Dame Jessica, Dr Masterman is involved in all aspects of the Research Strategy, working with academic leaders and others throughout the University, including staff in Research & Innovation, to develop initiatives and programmes which align with UKRI drivers and opportunities, contribute to a strong REF performance, align research and related strategies and policies across campuses and Faculties, deliver research strategy goals, and promote our research strengths and capabilities externally.
Dr Masterman said: “I am particularly proud to be supporting the academic community through the Research Strategy to develop research with greater ambition and help focus this ambition to compete for large scale funding which contributes to the University’s research vision to deliver research.”
Meanwhile, Professor Neil Crout takes up a new role as the Academic Lead for Impact.
Professor Crout will lead on the institutional approach to impact for REF and beyond.
He will work closely with Christina Mellor, REF Impact Manager, to better evaluate and improve our impact case studies as we move into a critical phase in our REF Readiness planning. A key focus is developing an Impact Strategy to increase staff engagement and further embed an impact culture across our University.
Professor Crout has worked at the University of Nottingham since 1989 and his work has had policy and commercial impacts in the environmental and agricultural sectors. Neil co-ordinated the RAE2008 return for the Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science unit of assessment and was the Head of the School of Biosciences 2011-2016. He is a member of the NERC Peer review college and has served on BBSRC and Innovate-UK grant panels.
Professor Crout said: “It is truly inspiring to see the many, many ways in which Nottingham’s research is making a real difference in the world.”
Complementing these senior appointments is that of Professor Deborah Hall as Vice-Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
Professor Hall is an NIHR Senior Investigator and Deputy Director of the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, where she leads research projects on measures in clinical trials, tinnitus and translational neuroscience.
She said: “I’m really looking forward to bringing my skills and experience in building international research partnerships across academic disciplines and across health, industry, and third-sector (charity) organisations to my new role at the Malaysia Campus. Through my continued leadership of research at Nottingham, UK, I also anticipate strengthening those existing links across the two campuses in Malaysia and the UK, as well as developing new ones”.
University of Nottingham Malaysia Provost and CEO Professor Graham Kendall said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Deborah Hall. She is a world-renowned researcher and academic leader. Her biography is a testament to that.”
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