Professor Richard Trembath

Biography

Richard Charles Trembath is the Senior Vice President (SVP) for Life Sciences & Health, and in addition holds the position of Executive Director of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre, which draws together the university with our major acute and mental health NHS Trusts to accelerate innovation for health benefit. The SVP for Life Sciences and Health works across the university to draw on the recognised strengths and ambitions in contributing to local, national and global health improvement through our research education and training activities. Richard acts as leading spokesperson for King’s in strategic matters regarding Health and Life Sciences, supporting relevant major capital decisions, development and strengthening of partnerships including with the Francis Crick Institute and the commercialisation of King’s Life Sciences Innovation . He holds responsibility for fostering existing relationships with our partner NHS Trusts and identifying new opportunities to ensure we remain at the leading edge of competitiveness, including in regard of the government’s Life Science Vision for the UK.

Professor Trembath is a member of the Principal’s Senior Team, the University Executive and the Senior Leadership Forum.

Prior to this role, Richard was Senior Vice President & Provost (Health) and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners, having joined King’s as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine in September 2015.

A geneticist, Richard trained in Medicine at Guy’s Hospital Medical School. Following postgraduate training at the Institute of Child Health, he moved to the University of Leicester in 1992 where he was later appointed to the Foundation Chair of Medical Genetics. He moved to King’s as Professor of Medical Genetics in 2005 and was Head of Division of Genetics & Molecular Medicine between 2008-11. During this time he was appointed founding Director of the KCL/GSTT NIHR Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre.

Richard has substantial academic leadership experience. Directly prior to his Executive Dean role at King’s, he was Vice-Principal for Health at Queen Mary University London and Executive Dean of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Richard is Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and King’s College London.

Richard’s research has focused on the identification of human disease genes, for which he has used established and emerging technologies. His interests have spanned a range of rare medical conditions, including pulmonary arterial hypertension to more common disorders including the skin inflammatory disorder, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne. More recently, he co-founded the East London Genes and Health project (www.genesandhealth.org). This programme is one of the world’s largest community-based genetics studies, funded by the Wellcome Trust, aiming to improve health among people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage in East London.