Professor Irene Higginson has been appointed as Executive Dean of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care from 1 January 2021.

Irene has a world leading reputation in the field of palliative care, applied health care and outcomes research. She is active in education and teaching and has extensive experience in leading and delivering national and international multidisciplinary collaborations. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an NIHR Senior Investigator (Emeritus) and was listed in the Highly Cited Researchers List from the Web of Science Group 2019 (scientists in the top 1% in their field in the world by citations).

Irene is currently Director of the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation at King’s College London where she has been instrumental in bringing together clinical teams from diverse areas in palliative care in a collaborative multi-professional environment for clinical services, education, research and policy engagement. She led the successful fundraising for the building of the Cicely Saunders Institute and led its winning of an Athena Swan Silver award through her support of diversity, inclusion and staff development. She has received King’s awards for Teaching Excellence; she also developed and implemented a highly acclaimed MSc programme in palliative care. She was previously Vice Dean for Postgraduate Education in the Faculty of Medicine and for four years was Director of Research and Innovation for King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

In her new role as Executive Dean, Irene will provide the Faculty with strategic leadership and build upon its tradition of attracting and graduating excellent nurses and midwives, and the commitment to shape the future of healthcare and improve patient experience across the globe through education, research, engagement and networks, all underpinned by a robust, evidence-based approach.

Professor Higginson will take over from Professor Ian Norman, who is stepping down from the role after five years.

 

* QS World University Rankings by Subject