Author
Molly Hunt
Posted on
30 August 2024
Read time
4 minutes
Professors Adam Gordon MBE, Liz Sampson, and Hamish Simpson have been appointed as Professorial Chairs for the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA).
ACHA is a new research, education and training centre from Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London, with funding from Barts Charity.
The professors will lead ACHA’s transformative research, education, and training efforts, to drive forward our mission to address key local priorities in healthy ageing research.
Their significant track records, expertise and leadership will be instrumental in delivering an internationally leading and innovative research agenda, to better support healthy ageing across north east London and beyond.
Introducing our professors:
Professor Adam Gordon, MBE, 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 is President of the British Geriatrics Society until he steps down in November 2024. He is joining Wolfson Institute for Population Health’s Centre for Primary Care.
Adam said “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 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 for Population Health (WIPH), Queen Mary University of London. She will continue her clinical work in Liaison Psychiatry for East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), joining WIPH’s Centre for Psychiatry & Mental Health.
Liz told us: “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, FRSE, 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 currently President of the ORS International Section of Fracture Repair (ORS ISFR) and Incoming President of the International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies. He is joining Queen Mary University of London’s Blizard Institute.
Hamish said “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.”
Formal Launch and Future Plans
The professors will join us in early autumn and begin working on ACHA’s strategic initiatives and future plans, which will be presented at our formal launch, planned for January 2025.
We look forward to the impactful contributions that Professors Adam Gordon, Liz Sampson, and Hamish Simpson will bring to ACHA and to the broader field of healthy ageing research.
Notes to Editors
The Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA) is a new research, education and training centre from Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London, funded by Barts Charity.
We work closely with local people and health and care staff in north east London to improve care and support for people as they grow older.
For more information
Visit: acha.qmul.ac.uk
Contact: bartshealth.acha@nhs.net
