I am a research psychologist with particular interest in psychosis. Appointed as the University’s Health Research Co-ordinator in the 1990’s , I was also given the brief of developing the university’s health research base . This included creating research excellence within the university as well as collaborations with NHS clinicians. As such I broadened my own research profile to include health services research and apply my epidemiological expertise , particularly with cohort based studies, to chronic health care problems other than psychosis , particularly rheumatoid arthritis and renal disease. I set up 2 research centres at UH , the Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care ( CRIPACC ) and the Centre for Life Span and Chronic Illnesses (CLiCIR) and with the NHS Trusts in Hertfordshire we established one of the UKs first university based R&D advisory services with a contract to support NHS R&D . Building on these early models NIHR have established the nationwide NIHR Research Design Service .
Such a long history has resulted in contributions to NICE/other national guidelines, research citations in National Audit Office /UK Gov Select Committee as well as academic publications .