Steering Group
Please visit this page for details of our steering committee, who can be contacted directly, should you require advice.
Sarah Cunningham Burley
Sarah is Professor of Medical and Family Sociology at the University of Edinburgh, Dean of School of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences, and Assistant Principal for Research-Led Learning. She is based in the Usher Institute. Her research interests include families, relationships and health; social issues in relation to new technologies and health; and, public engagement in medical science. She currently holds a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award, jointly with Professor Anne Kerr (University of Leeds), on cancer patienthood in the post genomic era. Sarah’s other work includes leading the public engagement research programme of the Farr Institute, Scotland and the Administrative Data Research Centre, Scotland, as well as studies sponsored by the ESRC and NIHR. With colleagues across the University, she is building a new research programme on Biomedicine, Self and Society; this aims to generate interdisciplinary social science research to address key challenges in health and medicine.
Hilary Critchley
Hilary is Professor of Reproductive Medicine and Dean of Clinical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Co-Director of the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, and, Clinical Consultant in Gynaecology at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. She is a medical graduate from the University of Manchester and undertook postgraduate clinical training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Manchester and Edinburgh. Hilary’s research training was undertaken in Edinburgh and Manchester, and in Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses upon local uterine mechanisms involved in menstruation and abnormal uterine bleeding. These studies have contributed to the understanding and thus the clinical management of gynaecological complaints with major impacts on women’s quality of life, notably to heavy menstrual bleeding, fibroids, and fertility control. Hilary is an advocate of the value of mentorship in supporting the careers of younger clinical and non-clinical academics.
Stewart Mercer (Convenor 2019-20)
Stewart is Professor of Primary Care and Multimorbidity in the Usher Institute; Director of the Scottish School of Primary Care (www.sspc.ac.uk); and a General Practitioner.
His research focuses on multimorbidity and patient-centred care, in relation to ageing and health inequalities. He is a core member of the newly established Advanced Care Research Centre, and Deputy Director of the associated Academy for Leadership and Training. He is also the Co-director of Telescot (www.ed.ac.uk/usher/telescot), and Research Lead for the Centre for Homelessness and Inclusive Health (www.ed.ac.uk/health/research/centres/chih). Stewart is Honorary Professor of Primary Care Research at the University of Manchester (since 2019) and Adjunct Professor of Primary Care Research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (since 2008). He moved to Edinburgh University in January 2019 from Glasgow University, where he was Professor of Primary Care for 12 years, and a member of the Institute for Health and Wellbeing Athena Swan SAT.
Stephen Wigmore (Convenor 2019-20)
Professor Wigmore is the Regius Chair of Surgery and is the Head of the Department of Clinical Surgery.
Stephen's interests lie in organ transplantation and liver, pancreas and biliary cancer surgery. His principal research focus is on the cell and molecular biology of organ pre-conditioning and stress protein expression. Other research interests include the Kupffer cell, innate immunity, endotoxin handling and functional assessment of the liver in the context of surgery and transplantation. He is also involved in medical education and distance learning.
Julia Dorin
Julia is Professor of Genetics of Host Defence at the MRC/UoE Centre for Inflammation Research, having been previously part of the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh’s Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine. She did her PhD at the Human Genetics Unit (HGU)with Professor Veronica van Heyningen and then two postdocs with Professor David Porteous, leading to a three-year Caledonian Research Fellowship. Following this she became a Project Leader at the HGU, running her own group since 1995. Julia’s current interest is in innate immunity. She has four children, the first born at the end of her first postdoc and the second during her next postdoc. Despite working full-time then (that being the only option), when she had two more children in 1998 and 2001 she worked 60% then 80% and finally 90% FTE but has very recently gone back to full-time working. She lives with her partner who works part-time.
Andrea Scott
Andrea is Head of Deanery Administration of the Deanery of Clinical Sciences. She graduated in 1995 with a MA(Hons) degree in Modern History and Contemporary European Studies and worked at Queen Margaret University College, Napier University and the British Medical Association before joining the University of Edinburgh in 2001 as the (then) Division, now Deanery, Administrator for Clinical Sciences. She worked full-time before and after the birth of her first child, but moved to 0.8 FTE in 2009 following her return from maternity leave after having her second child.
Vivien Smith
Vivien is Director of Professional Services in the Deanery of Molecular, Genetics and Population Health Sciences. She worked full-time in finance in London until the birth of her second child, then relocated to Edinburgh. Vivien has worked at the University of Edinburgh since 2005, starting in a part-time role when her children were young and gradually increasing her hours to full-time over several years.
Gill Roberts
Gill has been working in Human Resources in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine since 2006. Her most recent role (from September 2015) as HR Project Officer, includes supporting the Athena SWAN teams within the College. Her primary role is to support the teams’ Athena SWAN applications by providing and analysing the necessary staff and student data.
Past members
Thank you so much to all our fabulous members from the past who have been excellent as part of the steering group and still remain supportive and engaged with Athena SWAN
Susan Farrington (Convenor 2018-9)
Susan is a Reader in the Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM). She obtained her undergraduate degree in Manchester, followed by a PhD in Liverpool. After obtaining a postdoctoral research position in Edinburgh, she was awarded a Personal Research Fellowship in 1998. Susan was made a permanent member of staff in 2002, promoted to UE09 in 2006, Reader in 2014 and she continues to be a PI within the IGMM. Susan is a member of the IGMM post-graduate committees and is also a mentor. She is in a dual academic career marriage with two school aged daughters. Both partners commute approximately three hours a day in different directions to Edinburgh and Newcastle. Flexible and out of office working practices have been essential within this scenario.
Carmel Moran (Convenor 2018-9)
Carmel is Reader in Medical Physics, in the Centre of Cardiovascular Science in the Deanery of Clinical Sciences. She completed her PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London in 1991 and moved to Edinburgh as a Research Assistant in Medical Physics. Carmel has progressed within the Deanery through the positions of Research Fellow (1996), Senior Research Fellow (2005), and Reader (2007). She is in a dual career marriage to a non-academic, with three children (born in 1995, 1997, 2000). Since the birth of her third child Carmel has worked flexibly and part-time (2000-2003 50%FTE; 2003-2012 67% FTE; 2012 onwards 80% FTE). She has acted as a mentor for junior academics and chairs the pastoral committee for new students within Cardiovascular Sciences. She was previously is President of the British Medical Ultrasound Society.
Lorna Marson
Lorna is a Reader in Transplant Surgery, and Honorary Consultant Surgeon. As a surgical trainee she had two children, who are now at university, and so has experience of both maternity leave and training on a less than full-time basis. Lorna chaired a Special Advisory Board at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, working to promote surgery as a career for women. In 2006, she was awarded the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Hunter Doig medal as a woman who has made a significant contribution to surgery. Lorna is Associate Postgraduate Dean for Surgery, a role that includes working with training programme directors and trainees on issues such as bullying and harassment. She is particularly interest in mentoring, and has developed mentoring programmes for surgeons and trainees. Lorna is leading a piece of work around embedding principles of dignity and respect in all aspects of the delivery of undergraduate teaching.