Meet the Secondments Working Group!

Mark Taylor, Convenor

Dr Mark Taylor stepped down as Head of Impact for the Central Commissioning Facility of the National Institute for Health Research (www.nihr.ac.uk) at the end of February 2021 and began his new role as Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Grant Management Group within LGC plc. Before that he has worked, amongst other places, for Merck KGaA, 3i plc, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and Oxford University Innovation (the University’s knowledge transfer arm). He has been a trustee for the MS Society as well as on the British Medical Journal’s Patient Panel. He was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in 2003. 

Alasdair Cameron

Dr Alasdair Cameron is the Chief Executive Officer at ARMA. Alasdair started his career in industry before moving into the HE sector. Prior to joining ARMA, he was Director of the West of Scotland KTP Centre and Director of Strategic Engagement with PraxisAuril.

Sophie Crouchman

Sophie Crouchman is Strategic Projects and Research Manager at Universities Human Resources (UHR). She joined UHR in November 2021 and works on projects which encompass how HR functions can use data more effectively in decision making; workforce planning (with HESPA) and other bespoke research for UHR to support the needs of members. Prior to this, Sophie held roles in Planning; HR; Estates & Facilities Management; Registry and in an Academic School at Loughborough University for 15 years. Sophie was most recently Senior Planning Officer, a role which included governance, projects and data work, including working closely with HR colleagues on the HESA staff return; REF; EDI and HR datasets. In 2018/19, Sophie was seconded to Research England to act as Secretary to three REF Sub-panels during the criteria setting phase of the REF2021 exercise.

Camelia Dijkstra

Dr Camelia Dijkstra is the Head of Research Services at the University of Wolverhampton leading a diverse team providing the central research support provision across the university including: research development, management of institutional research funding and QR funding, research integrity, research systems, external returns (including REF), dedicated impact and policy engagement as well as research administration support and researcher development (the latter with the Doctoral College). 

Camelia Dijkstra holds a PhD (University of Nottingham) and an MBA (The Open University) with 14 years’ experience of research and business management in several UK Universities. Previous leadership positions include Head of the Research Development, Director of Grand Challenges Initiative and Co-Director of the Centre for Biological and Sport Sciences at Coventry University. Camelia is chairing an UPEN group on policy on regional matters as well as being an expert evaluator for national funders and for the European Commission for a number of funding programmes including H2020 and the new Horizon Europe.  

Stephanie Harris

Stephanie Harris has several years’ experience drafting and negotiating research contracts in the university sector. She is currently a Contracts Manager at City, University of London, where she also qualified as a solicitor in September 2020. Stephanie has written about contracts and the post-award process for Funding Insight, part of the Research Professional site for research funding policy and analysis.

Jennifer Hazleton

Dr Jennifer Hazelton has worked in a variety of research support roles since 2007, following a short research career. She joined the University of Edinburgh as Head of Research Funding in February 2022, leading the team who support applications for external research funding across the institution. Prior to that, she was Associate Director of Research Coordination (BEAMS Faculties) at UCL. Having started her career in Newcastle University as a Research Assistant and Project Manager for a multi-million euro European Aid Cooperation funded project, Jen moved full time into a research support role with the Newcastle Institute for Sustainability following completion of her PhD. Whilst working at UCL, she completed secondments with EPSRC (on a project looking at peer review process) and UCL Research Services (as Business Partner for BEAMS Faculties). 

Chris Herbert

Dr Chris Herbert is Director of Operations (Research and Innovation) at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust. He is an experienced Operational Manager, Business Strategist and Business Development and Innovation professional with a focus on the translation and commercialisation of innovative healthtech research. He has worked in a variety of positions within the medical device and Advanced Therapy sectors with a focus on the development of translational R&D programmes led by clinicians, academics and SME’s.

As Director of Operations for Research and Innovation at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Chris oversees the strategic development and operational management of Research across one of the largest NHS Trusts in the UK. In this role, Chris is responsible for the strategic development and management of the Trust’s Research and Innovation function which at any one time is supporting >900 live clinical research projects.  Chris is also leading on the implementation of a Clinical Innovation System and development of an Innovation District to support both innovators in the Trust and businesses who are looking to work with NHS organisations to develop and evaluate innovative healthtech products across a broad specturm of clinical disciplines.  This growing portfolio of “innovation” projects includes the collaborative development of a wide range of medical devices, diagnostics and digital/AI tools aimed at improving the health of patients.

Chris has a strong belief in open innovation and collaboration to develop solutions to problems and in developing business and reimbursement strategies in parallel with strong scientifc proof-of-concept data at an early stage to facilitate the development of investable propositions.  

Shaun Leamon

Shaun Leamon is a research manager with over 15 years of experience in the design, commissioning and evaluation of research and grant programs to inform health and care practice and policy. Shaun currently works at the Health Foundation (https://www.health.org.uk/), where he is responsible for a number of large infrastructure grants designed to support a greater use of research knowledge and evidence in health and social care, and support the translation of evidence into policy and practice. Shaun also leads the Health Foundation’s Research Strategy and Operating Framework, designed to ensure the research funded by the Foundation is catalytic, of the highest quality, and adds value and impact by supporting a vibrant and flourishing research culture. Shaun sits on a number of UK advisory groups working in the field of research on research and is a member of a number of professional associations, including the UK Evaluation Society, the Charity Evaluation Working Group and the Association of Research Managers and Administrators.

Catriona Manville

Dr Catriona Manville is director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC).  The AMRC is a membership organisation dedicated to supporting medical research charities in saving and improving lives through research and innovation.

She leads AMRC’s policy work to influence and improve the research and funding landscape in universities and the NHS, and to build networks across government and the life sciences sector.

Prior to joining AMRC, Catriona was a Research Leader at RAND Europe, an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to help improve policy and decision making through research and analysis. At RAND, Catriona led a large portfolio of research evaluation and research into societal impact, with a particular focus on evaluating national assessment systems. Clients included UK government departments, charities and industry, European institutions and other overseas governments.

During this time, Catriona was seconded to the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) working in business intelligence. She holds a doctorate in biochemistry and genetics from Newcastle University and worked in genetic toxicology at GSK.

Pilar Pousada Solinho

Pilar Pousada Soliño is Deputy Head of Research and Industrial Partnerships at the University of Lincoln. She has responsibility for the strategy and delivery of research services at institutional level, including income generation, systems and data, knowledge exchange activity and research assessment (REF). Pilar was REF2021 Panel Secretary for Clinical Medicine and has prior experience as a research environment manager and a project manager. Before moving to Lincoln, Pilar worked in human resources at various departments at the University of Oxford and as a journalist in Spain before moving to the UK. She is a member of the Editorial Board of The Protagonist at ARMA.