Professor Blamire, currently the Dean of Translational and Clinical Research Institute at Newcastle University and Professor of Magnetic Resonance Physics, was appointed following a competitive process and his knowledge, skills and experience will help to strengthen the BRC, our wider partnership and NIHR.
Andy’s own research develops and evaluates novel medical imaging techniques to improve patient diagnosis and as outcome measures to monitor disease progression and response to intervention. He works in the areas of neuroimaging and neurodegenerative diseases and in neuromuscular diseases, with his most recent research creating a way to image muscle functional microstructure (motor units) for the first time, which has huge potential to accelerate diagnosis in motor neuron disease.
The introduction of a new BRC Co-Director role is a natural evolution of the NIHR Newcastle BRC’s successful model of research theme Co-Leads and will broaden the expertise and experience of the BRC Leadership Team, as well as building capacity and resilience at what is a key time for us.
Since Andy’s appointment as Dean, the Translational and Clinical Research Institute has expanded and strengthened its research portfolio through appointment of new clinical and non-clinical academics, developed the careers of its junior academics and grown its research activity. It has made new academic appointments in ageing, neurodegenerative diseases, neuromuscular diseases, digital methodologies, regenerative medicine and cancer, many of which are now central to the work of the BRC. Under his leadership over the last 5 years, the Institute has successfully doubled its research income.
Andy has a strong motivation to support translational and clinical research. He has led the UKRI-MRC Impact Acceleration Account (formerly the MRC-Newcastle Confidence in Concept) for the past 8 years with responsibility for securing funding from MRC and overseeing the distribution of funding across projects which have translational potential. He was also the academic lead for the Wellcome Trust – Newcastle Institutional Translational Partnership which worked to upskill researchers around translational research.
Professor Avan Aihie Sayer says: “I am delighted to welcome Andy as my BRC Co-Director. He is an experienced strategic and operational leader and brings a deep knowledge of the translational and clinical research landscape across our partnership. Our BRC Executive Group places great value on supporting a research culture in which people can flourish and Andy’s collaborative and inclusive leadership, as he has demonstrated as our BRC co-lead for Interdisciplinary Research, made him an outstanding candidate for this role.” Andy says: “I am honoured to have been appointed to the Co-Director role and to have the chance to play a role alongside Avan in shaping the delivery and the future of the BRC. The BRC is a vital part of our translational research eco-system in Newcastle, creating a strong link between the NHS Trusts of NuTH, CNTW and the University. I believe it is a pinnacle of our research activity and delivers findings which directly change patient diagnosis, care and health outcomes. I am excited to be more deeply involved and look forward to working with all of the many colleagues across the BRC”.
Professor Avan Aihie Sayer says: “I am delighted to welcome Andy as my BRC Co-Director. He is an experienced strategic and operational leader and brings a deep knowledge of the translational and clinical research landscape across our partnership. Our BRC Executive Group places great value on supporting a research culture in which people can flourish and Andy’s collaborative and inclusive leadership, as he has demonstrated as our BRC co-lead for Interdisciplinary Research, made him an outstanding candidate for this role.”
Andy says: “I am honoured to have been appointed to the Co-Director role and to have the chance to play a role alongside Avan in shaping the delivery and the future of the BRC. The BRC is a vital part of our translational research eco-system in Newcastle, creating a strong link between the NHS Trusts of NuTH, CNTW and the University. I believe it is a pinnacle of our research activity and delivers findings which directly change patient diagnosis, care and health outcomes. I am excited to be more deeply involved and look forward to working with all of the many colleagues across the BRC”.