New leadership has been put in place to strengthen research and innovation work at NHS Lanarkshire to improve patient outcomes by developing new treatments and policies.
Professor W Gordon Mackay – known as ‘Gordie’ – joined the health board on January 5 as new director of research, innovation and academic partnerships.
He said: said: “I’m delighted to work in NHS Lanarkshire and join a very successful and forward-thinking Research, Innovation and Academic Partnership Service.
“NHS Lanarkshire and our academic partners have a strong record in high-quality research and innovation and this directly benefits our patients, staff and the organisation as a whole.
“NHS research is crucial to improving patient outcomes and quality of life through developing new treatments, a better understanding of local populations and health inequalities, and informing health policies.”
Gordie is a senior manager in the teaching and research team at the University of the West of Scotland’s School of Health and Life Sciences.
Within the school, he is deputy head of biological sciences and health, responsible for health ethics, director of the new integrated health, environment and life sciences research institute, director of the centre for infection and microbiology, and has an active and successful research and consultancy profile.
He’s held an honorary position with Public Health Scotland, working on Covid-19 recovery, and worked with the World Health Organisation on HIV drug resistance surveillance.