Professorial Chairs:
The professors lead ACHA’s transformative research, education, and training efforts, to drive forward our mission to address key local priorities in healthy ageing research.
Professor Adam Gordon, MBE
Background
Adam is a clinical academic geriatrician with a focus on implementing evidence-based models of care to improve health outcomes for older people living with frailty. He has been predominantly involved in research that addresses healthcare delivery in care homes. His research has shaped national policy to ensure an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to care for residents. His work has also focussed on the development of surgical liaison services and emergency care for older people. Adam was previously Professor of Care of Older People at the University of Nottingham and was President of the British Geriatrics Society until November 2024.
ACHA
“I am thrilled to join the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing and to lead efforts in improving rehabilitation and recovery for older people in north east London. I am looking forward to working with the teams across Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London to advance research and create impactful strategies that support the recovery and resilience of older people. We intend to establish a centre in this part of London that delivers some of the best care in the world.”
Professor Liz Sampson
Background
Liz is a highly experienced clinical academic with an international reputation, focusing on conditions such as delirium, dementia, and cognitive frailty in acute hospital patients. Her work spans cross-disciplinary epidemiology and big data studies, aiming to better understand and manage complex interactions between physical and mental health in older people. Liz previously worked at University College London (UCL) and more recently served as Honorary Clinical Professor in the Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London. Since joining the ACHA team, she has continued her clinical work in Liaison Psychiatry for East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT).
ACHA
“This is a great opportunity to join the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing and to lead its research on cognition and mental health. By addressing these critical aspects of ageing, we can make significant strides in improving the quality of life for older adults. I am excited to be working in this team and the diverse research and clinical collaboration networks that ACHA will support.”
Professor Hamish Simpson
Background
Hamish is an internationally renowned expert in orthopaedics and trauma, brings extensive experience in clinical research, with a focus on musculoskeletal infection, limb reconstruction, paediatric deformity and non-arthroplasty treatments for osteoarthritis. He has a distinguished career with research interests in osteoporosis, impaired bone healing, novel cutting methodologies and stem cells for musculoskeletal repair. He is the first orthopaedic surgeon to be awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE). Hamish has held the George Harrison Low Chair and been Head of the Department of Orthopaedics & Trauma at the University of Edinburgh and Honorary Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon. He was previously Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Oxford. He is Immediate Past President of the ORS International Section of Fracture Repair (ORS ISFR) and will take up Presidency of the International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies in October this year.
ACHA
“I am honoured to join the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing and contribute to its groundbreaking work in addressing the challenges of multi-morbidity and long-term conditions. I look forward to leading research into maintaining mobility in adults and enhancing return of function after injury in older individuals and collaborating with colleagues in Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University and the local community to develop innovative solutions that promote healthy ageing of all adults, compress morbidity and enhance the health and wellbeing of older adults.”
Board members:
The ACHA Board is responsible for overseeing the mobilisation of the centre.
Professor Fiona Walter
Background
Professor Fiona Walter is Director of the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, one of six Institutes at Queen Mary University of London’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. The Institute has six centres, and she contributes to leadership of the Centre for Cancer Screening, Prevention & Early Diagnosis. Fiona joined Queen Mary in April 2021 as Professor in Primary Care Cancer Research after serving as Reader in Primary Care Cancer Research at the University of Cambridge. She also worked as a GP in the NHS over more than three decades.
Fiona’s research focuses on developing and evaluating new diagnostics and diagnostic approaches to all aspects of prevention, early detection, and diagnosis of cancer in primary care. She co-led the CanTest Collaborative, Cancer Research UK’s first Catalyst award, focussing on the transformative implementation in primary care of tests to support early detection of cancer, and delivering an annual CanTest International School for Cancer Detection Research in Primary Care. Fiona is also co-investigator on the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Cancer Awareness, Screening and Early Diagnosis. Current UK research leadership roles include deputy-Chair for Cancer Research UK’s Early Detection and Diagnosis committee. Fiona contributes to cancer research in Europe and the US and co-leads an NIHR Global Research Group ‘Advancing Early Diagnosis of Cancer across Southern Africa’. Her international work is marked by an honorary academic role at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Professor Mary Collins
Background
Professor Mary Collins is an immunologist, virologist and a self-confessed ‘lab rat’ with a history of leading pioneering multidisciplinary research and a passion for scientific outreach. In her new role as the Blizard Institute Director, she hopes to build on our success by utilising our unique links with the East end community, expanding our outreach activities, and developing new national and international partnerships.
Professor Collins is joining us from Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), a graduate university located in Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan. She joined the organisation in 2016 as the Dean of Research, then assumed responsibilities of Provost two years later in 2018. During her tenure she oversaw an expansion of a broad research portfolio with numerous multidisciplinary themes including fields such as marine and environment science, quantum computing and cyber security. She participated in the local outreach programme to Okinawans to help them understand the role of the newly established university in improving their health and economic outcomes. In 2020 she led university’s Covid-19 response after the start of the pandemic setting up a clinically-accredited PCR test for Okinawa.
Jenny Rivers
Background
Jenny is an experienced research leader having led large teams, driven research strategy across the NHS, academia and beyond, and managed operations, governance and finance across complex and diverse research portfolios. She joined Barts Health NHS Trust in October 2023 to develop and deliver the Trust’s research strategy. In this role, Jenny oversees the Trust’s research resources and infrastructure, including the Joint Research Management Office with Queen Mary University of London and a portfolio of local and regional National Institute for Health and Care Research funded clinical research infrastructure.
Jenny is passionate about the need to evolve cross-sector leadership models across healthcare and research and brings her experience of working in academic, NHS and commercial environments to support the development of the research workforce and infrastructure to build capacity for research locally, regionally and nationally.
Jenny is an active member of the UK NHS R&D leadership community (UKRD) and leads on a number of national workstreams, including environmental sustainability. As a champion of sustainable clinical research delivery, Jenny is a member of the Academy of Medical Sciences joint international policy project with the US National Academy of Medicine on climate change and health.
Nigel Turner, OBE
Background
Nigel and his family have been patients at Whipps Cross for more than 55 years. After a nearly 40-year career in HR across industry, local government, and the NHS, including chairing the NHS Staff Council and serving on the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body, he joined the Whipps Cross Patients’ Panel in 2015 and chaired it from 2021 to 2025.
He was a Trustee of Redbridge Equalities and Community Council (and its predecessor organisations) for nearly 40 years, serving as Chair from 2016 to 2020. Nigel is also the lay co-Chair of Barts Health NHS Trust’s Experience of Care Strategic Oversight Group. Nigel is also the Chair of the Community Advisory Group, which aims to ensure that ACHA’s work is influenced by the needs and preferences of patients and the public at every level, and he represents the patient and public interest on its Assurance Committee and Board. He was appointed OBE in 2008 for services to the NHS and the community in London.
Dr Claire Dow
Background
Claire is a Consultant Geriatrician at Whipps Cross Hospital. She trained in Newcastle upon Tyne with her post graduate training in East London. She was appointed as a Consultant in Geriatric Medicine to Barts Health NHS Trust in 2007 and worked at the Royal London Hospital and in Tower Hamlets as the Community Geriatrician. She was Divisional Director of Tower Hamlets Community Services from 2015 until 2018 and was the Trust’s representative on the Promoting Independence workstream with Tower Hamlets Together until 2024 (collaboration of health, social care, voluntary service and patient representation in the borough). Claire was the Network Lead for Older People’s Services across Barts Health from 2015 until 2023 which had a “frailty academy” as part of its initial strategy alongside improvements to patient care across the Trust.
Claire moved to Whipps Cross Hospital in June 2024 to take up the role of Divisional Director for Medicine and to work as a Consultant in Geriatric Medicine in the Older Adult’s Assessment Unit and Emergency Department. Claire Dow is the chair of ACHA’s Workforce Advisory Group.
Alastair Finney
Background
Alastair is the redevelopment director for Whipps Cross Hospital. He also leads the Integrated Delivery Framework (IDF) for Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Whipps Cross Hospital. Prior to working for Barts Health, Alastair was a portfolio director in the NHS Trust Development Authority (TDA), with responsibility for providing leadership and support to NHS trusts in north and east London. Alastair also previously worked as deputy director for strategy and provider development at NHS London and before that for the Department of Health in a number of policy and executive roles.
Alastair is chair of the Integrated Delivery Framework Executive and responsible for connecting the ACHA Board to local transformation, and as the Whipps Cross Hospital redevelopment director, he was instrumental in progressing the ACHA application from the initial concept to where it is today.
Dr Amanjit Jhund
Background
Amanjit is a doctor by background and he first joined the NHS 12 years ago. He has worked in hospitals in both Scotland and England, gaining experience in a wide variety of medical specialties. Amanjit is a Harvard trained Epidemiologist, former expert on healthcare systems and services at McKinsey, award winning entrepreneur and former parliamentary candidate at the 2010 and 2015 general elections and the CEO of Whipps Cross Hospital, within Barts Health Trust.
Amanjit is the Chair of the ACHA Board, overseeing the strategic direction of the centre and ensuring that ACHA is managed according to the required standards of accountability, regularity and propriety, achieving high standards of efficiency, effectiveness, and economy.
Lauren Ellis
Background
Lauren has worked within NHS Transformation for 13 years; she began her career in NHS Commissioning and discovered her passion for Healthy Ageing as Transformation Lead for Frailty in south east Essex. Lauren’s previous role as Strategy Manager for the Redevelopment of Whipps Cross involved the successful delivery of interdependent service transformation programmes. This included the design of ACHA, which as Programme Management Lead, Lauren developed together with the original applicant team.
Lauren is the ACHA Director, Lauren is responsible for facilitating the knowledge exchange between academic and NHS leaders, promoting the unique opportunity ACHA presents to our local health and care system and supporting the Board and the Chairs to fully realise the potential of ACHA.
Dr Mark Rawle
Background
Mark is a practising consultant doctor at Whipps Cross Hospital, specialising in geriatrics and general (internal) medicine. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians with full FRCP(UK) accreditation. He is research lead for older person’s services in Barts Health and has a special interest in cognitive health, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, and polypharmacy. Skilled in epidemiological research within both longitudinal cohorts and electronic health records, his work centres on the effects of prescribed medications in older age. Mark currently holds a fellowship in ageing research at the Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing (MRC LHA) at UCL.
Mark is an ACHA co-applicant and a key member of the original ACHA Application Team, who designed and developed the Centre in 2021.
Maurice Darding
Background
Maurice is Head of Research Funding at Barts Charity, which provided funding to establish ACHA. Maurice has a PhD in cancer research, and prior to working for Barts Charity he worked in research funding at Cancer Research UK. Before that, Maurice worked as a post-doctoral researcher at University College London.
Maurice worked closely with the applicant team who designed and delivered the Barts Charity bid to establish ACHA. He now acts as a steward for the delivery of the vision and the effective deployment of the Barts Charity Grant as a key member of the Board.
Professor Steph Taylor
Background
As Director of Research in the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Steph is responsible for directing and coordinating the promotion of research activity and supporting strategic decision making around research in the Institute. Steph also co-leads the Centre for Primary Care.
Steph’s background and specialty training is in both public health and primary care and she leads a group of researchers conducting applied health services research directed at improving the lives of people living with long term conditions, particularly those living with multiple long-term conditions.
Steph is the Academic Lead for the ACHA and a key member of the original application team.
