Professorships awarded to Royal Berkshire consultants

Five consultants at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust have been appointed to professorship roles at the University of Reading.

In partnership between both organisations, the consultants will be seconded to professorships at the University where they will be leading clinical research for their respective departments and the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust overall.

The five consultants who have received the professorship secondments are:

• Mark Little, Consultant Radiologist, University Department of Radiology.
• Neil Ruparelia, Consultant Cardiologist, University Department of Cardiology.
• Antoni Chan, Consultant Rheumatologist, University Department of Rheumatology.
• Liza Keating, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine, University Departments of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine.
• Matthew Frise, Consultant in Acute Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine, University Department of Critical Care Medicine.

All consultants were chosen from Trust departments which hold University Department Status. This status recognises departments who have achieved clinical/operational, educational and research excellence.

The new roles are the latest development from the Health Innovation Partnership (HIP) between the University of Reading and Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. Through the HIP, more than £1.5M in research funding has been awarded, and a Clinical Skills Simulation Suite has been built at the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus.

Speaking about the new professorships, Dr Janet Lippett (Chief Medical Officer at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust), said: “We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with the University of Reading and to be a Trust that recognises how impactful research can improve health outcomes for our patients.

“Each of the five consultants exemplify the expertise and leadership that saw their departments awarded with University status, and in their new seconded roles they will be able to further develop and enhance our research output.”

Professor Robert Van de Noort, University of Reading Vice-Chancellor, said: "These professorship secondments demonstrate the value in bringing academic research and clinical expertise together.

“By bridging university and healthcare environments, we are creating valuable opportunities for innovative medical research that can directly improve patient care and health outcomes.”