New Head & Deputy Head of Parasitology
Published: 8 October 2020
We are pleased to confirm the appointment of Professor Richard McCulloch as the new Head of Parasitology, with Dr Lilach Sheiner assuming the role of Deputy Head of Parasitology.
We are pleased to confirm the appointment of Professor Richard McCulloch as the new Head of Parasitology, with Dr Lilach Sheiner assuming the role of Deputy Head of Parasitology.
Prof McCulloch, a University of Glasgow graduate, returned to Glasgow as a Royal Society University Research Fellow in 1997 after a Wellcome Trust fellowship in The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
He has been a member of the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology (WCIP) since arriving in Glasgow to study the genome biology of kinetoplastid parasites, and was promoted to Professor in 2018.
Dr Sheiner, whose research team is interested in apicomplexan cell biology, using primarily Toxoplasma as model and focusing on the biology of edosymbiotic organelles, joined the WCIP in 2013.
Originally a Leadership Fellow within the Institute, she was promoted to Reader this year, as well as being awarded a Royal Society of Edinburgh Personal Research Fellowship in 2015.
Institute Director Professor Iain McInnes said: "I am delighted to confirm that Richard will be the new Head of Parasitology, and that Lilach Sheiner will now perform as Deputy Head. My thanks to them both for their leadership in the area.
"Richard assumes the role previously carried out by Andy Waters. Andy will continue as director of the WCIP and so will retain his important input alongside the new parasitology leadership team."
Prof McCulloch said: "I am honoured that Iain and Andy have shown faith in me to assume this exciting role as Head of Parasitology and I look forward to working with all the amazing parasitology colleagues in the institute, as well as in the wider community of the University of Glasgow.
"Even early in the post it is clear there are opportunities on the horizon and I look forward to embracing these alongside my fellow parasitologists.
"In particular, I will do all I can to support and develop young, emerging parasitologists who may feel their futures seem especially uncertain in these difficult times."
Dr Sheiner added: "I am excited to have been asked to assume the role of deputy.
"It is a wonderful opportunity to help expand the realms of parasitology research in the Institute and beyond and to facilitate new links to research elsewhere in the University, and in the national and international parasitology communities.
"I look forward to working with Richard and, indeed, all our colleagues, to enhance the breadth of training and career progress opportunities provided by parasitology and by the Institute as a whole."
First published: 8 October 2020