28 February 2024
Director appointed for the King's Health Partners Centre for Translational Medicine
Prof Philip Newsome PhD, FRCPE has been appointed as the first Director of the King’s Health Partners (KHP) Centre for Translational Medicine, with effect from June 2024.
The Centre for Translational Medicine brings together the organisations of King’s Health Partners and generous funding from the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity. The partnership seeks to improve the health of people locally, nationally, and globally, by accelerating research and innovation that improves the detection, prevention, and treatment of disease.
Prof Richard Trembath, Executive Director of King's Health Partners (KHP) and Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) said on behalf of the KHP Board: “Professor Newsome brings a wealth of academic and leadership experience to this role. I know he will be an outstanding champion of translational medicine including moves towards personalised healthcare, positioning KHP at the forefront of health innovation.”
As the Centre’s Director, Prof Newsome will provide strategic leadership with a focus on catalysing interdisciplinary and basic-clinical interaction, supporting infrastructure for translational medicine, capacity building and developing the next generation of research leaders, working in partnership with the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre.
Prof Newsome said: “I feel very privileged to be the Centre for Translational Medicine’s first Director, and look forward to working with all the partner organisations to drive forward innovative, world-class research and training that will have significant benefits for patients.”
Prof Newsome is currently working at the University of Birmingham where his roles include Director of the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Director of the Centre for Liver & Gastrointestinal Research, Director of the Innovate UK Midlands & Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre, Professor of Experimental Hepatology, and Honorary Consultant Hepatologist. He has held multiple national and international roles including as Secretary-General of the European Association for Study of the Liver from 2019-2021.
Prof Newsome has also been appointed as a senior Professor of Hepatology in the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences within the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London and the new Director for the Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology and will take up the post when he joins King’s College London in June. Read more about that appointment.
Prof Ajay Shah, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King’s said: “Professor Newsome’s appointment will help us realise our vision and ambition for experimental medicine at King’s, building on existing strengths and expertise within the University to maximise the benefits of that research for patients.”
Prof Newsome’s research expertise encompasses cell therapies for liver disease, fatty liver disease, rare metabolic disorders, and liver transplantation, and includes both basic research and clinical trials. He has published more than 150 major research papers and is a frequent contributor to both local and national media, including advising the BBC on stories related to cell therapy.
Prof Clive Kay, Chief Executive, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am delighted that Prof Newsome has been appointed. We are ambitious for the Centre for Translational Medicine, which will support us in our endeavours to provide outstanding care for patients and inspire our environment of research, innovation, and education.”
Prof Ian Abbs, Chief Executive, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: “I look forward to welcoming Prof Newsome to the partnership to lead the Centre for Translational Medicine and drive forward our shared ambitions to address the needs of our patients and communities and reduce health inequalities.”
Find out more about the Centre for Translational Medicine.
About King’s Health Partners
King’s Health Partners is an Academic Health Sciences Centre bringing research, education and clinical practice together across three NHS Foundation Trusts, Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley with a world-leading university, King’s College London.