Showcase

Darwin College Conference SuiteOctober 9th 2014

Welcome to the University of Kent in our 50th anniversary year.

KentHealth Showcase- A Developing Strategy for KentHealth

Dr. Peter J. NichollsDean of KentHealth

October 9th 2014

The University of Kent’s “one-stop shop” for health and social care expertise in research, training, innovation and partnerships with the regional NHS.

KentHealth and the Institutional Strategic Plan• The “whole” of the KentHealth portfolio will be greater than the sum of

its parts.

• KentHealth will add value without necessarily committing significant additional resource, thus contributing to securing our long term position at a time of flux in both the HE sector and the NHS.

• KentHealth will continue to be committed to enhancing our engagement regionally, nationally and internationally (in Europe and beyond), assisting to shape and support the highest quality research and other scholarly activity.

• KentHealth will play an active role in enhancing the reputation and position of the University in these arenas, contributing in due course to our standing in international league tables.

• KentHealth strategy will be mindful of the very considerable reputations that already exist in research and teaching around the University, and will ensure that lines of communication are open and constructive at all times.

• The Dean of KentHealth will develop and maintain an excellent working knowledge of all health-related activities around the University, taking care to be inclusive.

• A clear lead for health-related activity within the University with a breadth of activity to advise and implement strategy and to embed the University within the regional healthcare economy.

• A clear direction for research and innovation which exploits our current activities and strengths and builds collaborative research networks with our regional healthcare providers.

• A clear expansion of training provision for health professionals which builds on our current focus on postgraduate programmes and continuing professional development (CPD).

University of Kent Strategy for Health (2014-2016)

The aims of the Strategy for Health are to provide:

• A cell and molecular biologist with 30 years experience working at the interfaces between academia, industry and clinical research.

• Holds a BSc (Soton) and PhD (London) in Biochemistry.

• Five years of post-doctoral experience at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA).

• Three years industrial experience working for Celltech Ltd (Slough).

• Nearly 20 years at the University of Kent, having served for 4 years as Deputy Head of the School of Biosciences.

New Dean of KentHealth –Dr Peter Nicholls

• Has secured research funding from a variety of sources including EPSRC, BBSRC, The Royal Society, Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.

• Works closely with industry as a consultant for the Alere Ltd. , a global diagnostics and health management company, and Gallient Biomedical Ltd., a new spin-out company based in Wales.

• Research interests: Application of engineered antibodies and their fragments for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease.

New Dean of KentHealth –Dr Peter Nicholls

Key objectives of the Kent Strategy for Health

1. Promotion of cross-University healthcare activities.2. Collecting and disseminating data on health-related activity.3. To develop the Kent Institute for Community Health and Social Care.4. To increase numbers of joint academic appointments with local healthcare providers.5. To establish/manage Kent Health Partners –a forum for healthcare research leadership.6. To enhance/expand the KentHealth Academic Research Fellowship programme.7. To increase University involvement in Europe-based healthcare initiatives.8. To engage with local partners to enhance the spread of innovative practice.9. To promote/expand the activities of the Primary Care Unit within the University of Kent

Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS).10. To develop further collaborative arrangements with EKHUFT & international partners.11. To establish/consolidate progression pathways (Levels 7, 8) in line with modernising

scientific careers (MSC) initiatives.12. To expand/promote opportunities for our students to gain healthcare work experience.

Activities that fall under the KentHealth “Umbrella”.

For example: KSS-Clinical Research Network, Kent Health Partners, Higher Specialist Scientist Training (HSST) and Scientist Training initiatives, SSPSSR, CHSS, PSSRU, CPP interactions, CHSS intercalated BSc in Primary Care Management, Biosciences new MSc in Infectious Disease, RDS-South East etc.

Diagram adapted from The Health and Social Care Act 2012

For example: Kent’s unique and well regarded MSc degree in Science Communication & Society can contribute to Patient & Public involvement – a key tenet of the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) imitative and the 2012 Act.

For example: Liaison with Kent Innovation & Enterprise (KIE), building on strategic links with key industrial contacts (Paul Davis – Alere Group), Dec Doogan (ex-Pfizer), Tony West (W coast US), Marcus Webb (Shire).

New objectives for KentHealth Strategy - 1• To enhance wherever possible the likelihood of success in joint (Kent/NHS)

applications for European research funding (Interreg V, Horizon 2020) and training initiatives (Erasmus for All, Health for Growth) in partnership with Research Services and the local NHS Health & Europe Centre.

• To develop a closer relationship with Kent Enterprise & Innovation (KIE) to enhance ability to explore additional research and innovation funding streams e.g. Industry, Technology Strategy Board (TSB).

• To explore opportunities with Health Education England (HEE) to develop programmes relating to key growth areas in the sciences – genomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics, and HSST initiatives in genetics, microbiology, molecular pathology of acquired disease, molecular pathology of infection, virology – and also in leadership and professional development (KBS).

• Work with the Partnership Development Office, to engage with Healthcare Science week 2015, and with Council of Healthcare Science in Higher Education initiatives to enhance healthcare-related careers advice in local schools and colleges.

New objectives for KentHealth Strategy - 2• To engage with Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) initiatives, thus enhancing

institutional reputation amongst the public and governing bodies (Westminster, Brussels, Council for Healthcare Science – CHS).

• With the International Development Office, to exploit wherever possible opportunities to enhance the institutional reputation overseas, with the long-term objective of influencing international league table position – and therefore likely funding success in research and scholarship.

• In partnership with Development & Alumni Relations, to secure additional funding from external sources (philanthropic) to support the KentHealth Strategic Research Development and Vacation Bursary Funds.

• To develop a closer working relationship with the Deans, and enhanced ability to collect health-related activity (research, enterprise, scholarship) through scrutiny of School Planning round submissions.

• To contribute to the University of Kent 50th Anniversary celebrations, showcasing past, present and likely future healthcare-related successes of people associated with the University (staff and alumni).