Key research appointment at Northumbria

Professor Catherine Exley has joined Northumbria as Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation in Health and Life Sciences.

Catherine, a medical sociologist and applied qualitative health researcher, was previously Acting Director of the Institute of Health and Society in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University.

Originally from Yorkshire, Professor Exley studied her first degree in Salford before completing a Masters degree at Leeds University, and going on to gain her PhD from Coventry University. Catherine spent 10 years teaching and carrying out research at universities in the Midlands before moving to the North East where she has lived for 13 years.

Her personal research focuses on experiences of living with chronic disease and ageing, including end of life care, and how health care technologies can be used to support and manage these. She leads and collaborates on research with colleagues from many different academic disciplines and clinical backgrounds; her research is funded by a range of national funding bodies. Catherine is an experienced and successful postgraduate research supervisor and examiner, with a strong commitment to mentoring and developing the research careers of others.

Commenting on her new role, Catherine said: "I am excited to be joining Northumbria University. It has a reputation for academic excellence, pioneering teaching and international research, and has been recognised as one of the fastest risers amongst UK universities in research power. Throughout my career I have placed a strong emphasis on both teaching and research, and I believe strongly that research enhances teaching as well as having a significant impact on society. I am looking forward to building on the excellent work already undertaken at the University as part of its senior team."

Professor Dianne Ford, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Health and Life Sciences, said: "We are delighted to have someone of Catherine's calibre join the University to drive our world class research even further. The Faculty and the university already have an excellent reputation for our research and I am confident that we will build on this with Catherine's appointment."