Professor Gavin Andrews takes up the position as Head of School on 1^st August

 

Professor Andrews holds the Chair in Pharmaceutical Engineering in the School of Pharmacy and is a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering, an Eminent Fellow of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and previously held a Royal Society Industry Fellowship in conjunction with Astra Zeneca. More recently he has obtained an MBA from Warwick Business School, graduating in the top 10% of his class with distinction, and specialising in Strategic Leadership.

Gavin brings to this role senior management experience and strategic awareness of education portfolios in a national and international context and has significant research expertise in pharmaceutical sciences and technology. His research has secured funding from a wide range of sources, including EPSRC, EU, SFI, NSF, DfE, multinational pharma and the Royal Society. Gavin is the author of more than 140 peer-reviewed publications and several patents.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Andrews said “The School of Pharmacy has been the training ground for the development of my academic, personal and leadership skills over the last 22 years. I am incredibly proud to be appointed as the new Head of School. We are witnessing seismic shifts across the profession of pharmacy, driven by the new standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical industry must continue to deliver cost-effective novel medicines at pace, embracing AI, automation and advanced analytics to do so. Additionally, the UK higher education system is currently facing challenging economic headwinds, that require astute business acumen to maintain financial sustainability. The School of Pharmacy is a world leading centre for education and research and our progress will require us to develop our culture and capability for innovation. My colleagues and I must work within, and outside the organisation to create access to talent and tools, to be able to deliver new ways of thinking. We must also demonstrate agility and resilience to enable us to grow our international reputation. As I embark on this journey as Head of School, I very much look forward to working alongside our wonderful staff to deliver continued success.”