Key joint research appointment made by NNUH and UEA

A new professor has joined the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital to strengthen its research programme. Professor Ann Marie Swart has just joined the Trust as part of the Clinical Academic Initiative, a joint venture between the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital to recruit excellent academics to Norwich. She takes up a new role as Professor of Medicine (Epidemiology) and Director of the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit.

Professor Marcus Flather, director of research and development at NNUH and clinical professor in medicine at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said, said “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Swart who has extensive experience of clinical research trials, drug safety and public health issues in both academic and industry environments.

“This expertise will help us to advance our research programme, providing a long term benefit to Norfolk patients by developing more effective treatments.”

Professor Ian Harvey, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at UEA, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Professor Swart to Norwich. She has an enviable track record in undertaking major clinical trials during her work at the MRC Trials Unit in London and at University College London.”

Professor Swart trained in general medicine and became involved in trials in HIV with the Medical Research Council (MRC), then after periods working in the US and Japan she joined the MRC Clinical Trials Unit where she focused on international trials in cancer, later setting up the University College London Clinical Trials Unit. Her industry experience includes major pharmaceutical and specialist consulting in drug development and drug safety.

Professor Swart will be responsible for expanding and developing the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit and its trial portfolio to achieve full UKCRC (UK Clinical Research Collaboration) registration and international profile in clinical trials research

NNUH has been named as one of the top large acute Trusts in England and in the top twenty hospitals in the country for the number of clinical research studies it conducted last year. There were 182 research studies carried out by NNUH in 2012 to 2013, compared to 158 in 2011 to 2012.