About BHF
Our new Associate Medical Director Professor James Leiper
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor James Leiper from the University of Glasgow’s Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences as a new Associate Medical Director for Research.
Professor Leiper will start on 1 April 2020 and join the senior research team, which sets our research strategy and oversees around £100 million worth of research funding each year.
Prior to his move to Glasgow, Professor Leiper worked at UCL studying how blood vessels function before taking up the role of Medical Research Council Programme leader at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences in 2009.
He has undertaken internationally leading research in the field of vascular physiology and his work had led to the creation of a new biotechnology company focused on developing new medicines for the treatment of sepsis.
Professor Leiper will be based at the BHF for most of the week but will continue his research at the University of Glasgow.
Announcing his appointment our Medical Director, Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, said: “We are delighted to have James join us as an Associate Medical Director for Research. His broad experience will bring us knowledge and expertise across the broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases. In particular, James’ background in vascular physiology and translational research, will complement the expertise of the other Associate Medical Directors, Professor Jeremy Pearson, Professor Metin Avkiran and Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan.”
“Associate Medical Directors at the BHF play an important role in the UK cardiovascular research ecosystem. In addition to overseeing our research funding and developing our strategy for supporting cardiovascular research, they provide an important source of advice and support to the research community. I have every confidence that James will fulfil these functions admirably."
BHF Professor Rhian Touyz, Director of the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (ICAMS) at the University of Glasgow, said: "We are very proud to have a member of ICAMS take on this very prestigious and important role. James is an outstanding leader and scientist who epitomises everything that the BHF stands for. I know that James will do an outstanding job as Associate Medical Director of the BHF and am thrilled that he will continue his exciting research in Glasgow."
Commenting on his appointment, Professor Leiper said: “I am delighted to be taking up the role of Associate Medical Director at the BHF. The BHF provides outstanding support for the millions of UK patients suffering from cardiovascular disease and for the UK cardiovascular research community. It is an honour to join the BHF team that works tirelessly to find new treatments and cures for cardiovascular disease.”
James Leiper is Professor of Molecular Medicine in the Institute for Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Originally trained in molecular biology at the MRC Clinical Research Centre, James became interested in cardiovascular physiology whilst working at the Centre for Clinical Pharmacology at UCL and continued this work after taking up a position as Programme Leader at the MRC Laboratory for Medical Sciences.
In 2017 James’ group was recruited to the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow where their research focus is the translation of findings from basic science to human health and disease.