Dear Colleagues,

As you are aware, Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak has very successfully led the establishment of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab at the QEUH, which is a key element of the NHS Test and Trace service. The Lab has gone from strength to strength in developing its testing capacity, with the support of many colleagues in the College of MVLS. The role of the University and Dame Anna’s leadership of the project has been recognised by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Secretary of State.

As the country is entering a critical stage in dealing with the Covid emergency, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has asked Dame Anna to lead the work across all the UK Lighthouse laboratories. Anna has expressed a willingness to take up this position with effect from 17 August 2020.

Given the importance of the role which she has been asked to perform for UK Government, the University has agreed with DHSC to second Dame Anna to the NHS Test and Trace Programme. She will take this secondment up on the above date, and will continue concurrently her role as the Regius Chair of Medicine, the Principal Investigator on the Strength in Places ‘Living Lab’ project, the lead for the Lighthouse Lab in Glasgow and the MRC Health Innovation Champion.

Consequently, Dame Anna will step down on Monday 17 August from her position as Vice-Principal and Head of College in order to allow her to take up this secondment at DHSC.

I have asked Professor Graeme Milligan as Deputy Head of College to step in temporarily as Acting Vice-Principal and Head of College of MVLS. As you are aware, the appointment process for Dame Anna’s successor as Vice-Principal and Head of College is ongoing, and will hopefully be completed in late September.

As I emphasised in my communication prior to the summer, I am extremely grateful for all that Anna has achieved during her time as Vice-Principal. The request from UK Government to take up this important secondment at DHSC is further testament to the national leadership which she provides in biomedicine, and she takes up this new challenge at a crucial time for the country as it seeks to deal with the pandemic going into the autumn and winter months.

 

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli

First published: 17 August 2020

<< 28 August 2020