News archive 2008

King’s academics top NHS research list

03 Apr 2008, PR 61/08

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have announced the first 100 members of its College of Senior Investigators, eighteen King’s College London academics were awarded Faculty posts, the most of all the institutions included in the list.


Professor Lawrence Freedman, Vice-Principal for Research at King’s comments: ‘This is a tremendous vote of confidence in our top researchers and yet another indication that King’s is now to the fore in all areas of health research. This College now not only has more NIHR Faculty senior investigators, but also more biomedical research centres and more Medical Research Council (MRC) centres than any other university’.

The list comprises pre-eminent researchers in the NHS who are leading some of the most prestigious applied health and social care research projects in the country, and includes academics from key institutions such as Imperial College London (awarded 13 posts) University College London (9) Cambridge (7) and Oxford (3). The successful applicants were selected in an open competition by an international panel of judges and have been appointed over a period of three, four and five years (listed below).

King’s investigators

• David Clark, Clinical Director in the Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry
• Anthony David, Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry
• Philippa Garety, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry
• Matthew Hotopf, reader in Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry
• Martin Knapp, Professor of Health Economics, Institute of Psychiatry 
• Tak Lee, Asthma UK Chair of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, School of Medicine
• Simon Lovestone, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry
• Jill Manthorpe, Director of the Social Care Workforce Research Unit
• Henrik Møller, Professor of Cancer Epidemiology, School of Medicine
• Robin Murray, Head of General Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry
• Frank Nestle, Mary Dunhill Chair of Cutaneous Medicine and Immunotherapy, School of Medicine
• Steven Sacks, Head of the Department of Nephrology & Transplantation, School of Medicine
• David Scott, Professor of Clinical Rheumatology, School of Medicine
• Tim Spector, Head of the Twin Research Unit, School of Medicine
• Graham Thornicroft, Head of Department Community Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry
• Richard Trembath, Director of the Biomedical Research Centre and Professor of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine
• Simon Wessely, Professor of Epidemiological and Liaison Psychiatry and Director, King’s centre for Military Health Research, Institute of Psychiatry
• Charles Wolfe, Head of the Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine

The NIHR is a virtual organisation that provides the framework for the Department of Health to work with key partners involved in the different elements of NHS research. The (NIHR) has been established by the Department of Health to deliver the Government's R&D strategy 'Best Research for Best Health'. The strategy sets out the direction for NHS research that will build a vibrant and world-class research environment in England. The college has been set up to support the people who are making the most outstanding contribution to people-focused health research in the NHS which is essential for decision-making in health and in social care. Senior Investigators will take up their posts from April this year. They will provide leadership to the NIHR Faculty, expert advice to the Director of the NIHR, and promote clinical and applied people-focused research in health and social care.

Sally Davies, Director General of Research and Development, Department of Health said: ‘We want to encourage the people who are leading applied health research in this country. Their work is crucial and already helping to shape the health and social care services of the future’.



Notes to editors

King’s College London
King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,700 students from more than 140 countries, and 5,400 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an annual income of approximately £400 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres - more than any other university.




Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Officer (Health Schools)
Public Relations Department
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk Tel: 0207 848 4334




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