Blog posts

Regius Professor of Infectious Disease

Imperial is pleased to announce the title of Regius Professor of Infectious Disease has been conferred on Professor Wendy Barclay with immediate effect. She has been appointed in succession to the first holder of the Regius Professorship, Emeritus Professor David Holden. 

Professor Barclay’s appointment as a Regius Professor is made in recognition of the outstanding contribution that she has made to our understanding of respiratory viruses, and in particular to our understanding of influenza and SARS-CoV-2. 

She joined Imperial in 2007 as Chair in Influenza Virology and became Action Medical Research Professor of Virology in 2017. She has been the Head of Department of Infectious Disease in the Faculty of Medicine since 2019. Under her leadership, the Department received an Athena SWAN Silver Award in May 2021. 

Professor Barclay has an exceptional international reputation as a virologist and is acclaimed for the world-leading quality of her research. Her seminal work on influenza has resulted in breakthrough discoveries that have changed the field. She made a vital contribution to the UK’s response to COVID, a contribution that was justly recognised by the award of a CBE in 2022, and was key member of the Imperial College London COVID Response Team that received the Queens’ Anniversary Prize in 2022. 

She was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2019. In 2022, Professor Barclay was awarded the Microbiology Society Prize Medal, and in 2023 she was awarded the Belfast University Barcroft Medal. In 2024 she received the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research Sir Michael Stoker Award 2024 and was elected Fellow of the European Molecular Biology Organization in 2024. 

Professor Barclay’s expertise is in the field of respiratory viruses, in particular influenza viruses, aiming to understand the molecular and cellular basis of the pathogenesis, host range restrictions and transmissibility of influenza viruses. 

Read Decoding viruses and defying limits: Professor Wendy Barclay appointed Regius Professor of Infectious Disease

Managing Director for the Institute of Extended Learning (IEL)

Heather Haseley has been appointed Managing Director for the Institute of Extended Learning (IEL) and will join Imperial on Wednesday 23 April.

Reporting to the Associate Provost (Digital Lifelong Learning) and the Registrar and University Secretary, in this role Heather will have overall responsibility for the management of the IEL, working closely with colleagues across Imperial to shape and deliver our ambitious vision.

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Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Professor Tim Green has accepted the appointment as Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, with effect from 1 January 2025, for a term of five years. Professor Green will succeed Professor Eric Yeatman, who is taking up the post of Vice-Principal and Head of College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow.

Professor Green joined Imperial in 1994 as Lecturer in the department and was promoted to Professor of Electrical Power Engineering in 2005. Professor Green is currently the Academic Lead for Sustainability and is also the Deputy Head of the Department, both of which he will step down from once he takes up the Head of the Department role. He has held several other senior roles such as Director of the Undergraduate Studies and Co-Director of the Energy Futures Lab (EFL).

Professor Green’s research focuses on the analysis and technology to develop a zero carbon electricity supply system that is dominated by variable renewable sources and other inverter-based resources (IBR) such as battery energy storage. He was awarded Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2018.

Head of the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine

Professor Mary Morrell has been appointed as Head of the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, with effect from 1 November 2024.

Professor Morrell has been the Interim Head of the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine since the School was formed in August 2023.

Professor Morrell joined Imperial as a lecturer in 2000. Since then she has held many senior educational roles, including the Director of Phase 1 and its ‘early years’ predecessor within Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM). Professor Morrell has also facilitated and supported programmes in NHLI, including the successful BSc pathway in Remote Medicine, the first of its kind in the UK, and the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Healthcare MSc.

Professor Morrell’s research has investigated and raised awareness of sleep-related health issues in the UK and her research continues to have impact on the clinical care of thousands of patients.

Professor Morrell would love to hear from anyone interested in the new School. Please do get in contact.

Academic Director for Imperial Global Singapore

Professor Azra Ghani has accepted appointment as Academic Director for Imperial Global Singapore, with effect from 1 December 2024 for a term of three years. This is a 0.5 FTE role.

Reporting to the Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), in this role Professor Ghani will provide strategic vision, direction and leadership to the hub.

Professor Ghani is Chair in Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the School of Public Health. She is currently Director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis and she also holds a Visiting Professor appointment at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Professor Ghani’s research has covered a wide range of infectious diseases, including BSE and vCJD, sexually transmitted infections, SARS, COVID-19, influenza and malaria. She is currently a member of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) Scientific Advisory Committee and is a Trustee for the Science Media Centre.

Professor Ghani was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2017 and she was appointed a Member of the British Order (MBE) in 2021.

Academic Director for Imperial Global Ghana

Professor Majid Ezzati has accepted appointment as Academic Director for Imperial Global Ghana, with effect from 1 November 2024 for a term of three years. This is a 0.2 FTE role.  

Reporting to the Vice-President (Strategic Engagement), in this role Professor Ezzati will provide strategic vision, direction and leadership to the hub. 

Professor Ezzati is Professor of Global Environmental Health in the School of Public Health. He is also the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on NCD Surveillance, Epidemiology and Modelling, and a research lead at the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics. His research uses data and methods from environmental, health and quantitative sciences to answer key questions related to improving global health.