The University of Sussex and the University of Brighton have appointed Professor Malcolm Reed, a leading academic surgical oncologist, as the new Dean of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS).
Professor Michael Farthing, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, said: “We are delighted that Malcolm has agreed to lead the further development of BSMS, which is one of the most successful, popular and highly rated medical schools in the country. “He is a distinguished clinician, teacher and researcher from another of the UK’s leading medical schools, and an experienced senior academic and clinical manager. “Malcolm’s clinical academic expertise in cancer surgery will be invaluable as we continue to build our academic capacity and strength in cancer medicine and surgery. “He is an ideal person to develop the research portfolio of BSMS through closer engagement with researchers in both universities and with clinicians in our partner NHS trusts.”
Professor Julian Crampton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, said: “I am delighted with the appointment of Professor Malcolm Reed, who has an outstanding track record both as an academic and as a surgeon. He is one of the leading researchers in the field of oncology and has a major interest in the treatment of breast cancer. “Professor Reed was an exceptional candidate and I know he is the right person to take the Brighton and Sussex Medical School forward and to build on its achievements to date in what is its tenth anniversary year. “I wish Professor Reed every success and look forward to working with him in the coming years.”
Professor Malcolm Reed qualified in medicine from the University of Sheffield in 1981. Following postgraduate surgical training in the UK and a period of research at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, he returned to Sheffield for Higher Surgical Training. He became Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in 1992 and was appointed to the Foundation Chair in Surgical Oncology at the University of Sheffield in 1999.
In 2003 he became Head of Academic General Surgery and is currently Head of the University’s Department of Oncology. The Department has an annual turnover of approximately £15 million, with 50 academic faculty and a total of more than 200 staff.
Professor Reed has a long-standing track record in cancer research, with more than 200 publications. His main current areas of clinical research relate to the surgical management of breast cancer, with particular emphasis on breast cancer in older women. His research also covers other important aspects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment including projects evaluating the variation in the treatment of breast cancer.
A Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), Professor Malcolm Reed undertakes clinics and ward rounds as well as surgical procedures including breast reconstruction and complex soft-tissue sarcoma surgery.
Professor Reed, who will take up his appointment in autumn 2014, said: “I am delighted to be joining the team at BSMS and look forward to helping the Medical School build on its superb achievements during its first ten years. “I have been impressed by the extremely positive atmosphere and collaboration between the two universities and the NHS trusts and this will help us meet the challenges ahead. “BSMS graduates report that they are very well prepared for their roles in the NHS and beyond and our aim will be to maintain this high standard and to build on the reputation of the school for excellence in research and teaching.”
The Universities of Sussex and Brighton have appointed Professor Reed as a permanent replacement for the founding Dean of BSMS, Professor Jon Cohen, who stepped down from his post in December 2013. Professor Gordon Ferns, previously the Deputy Dean, has been Acting Dean since January 2014.
BSMS was created and launched in 2003 as part of a new generation of medical schools developed in the UK. It is an equal partnership between the Universities of Sussex and Brighton together with NHS organisations throughout the south-east.
(Phil Mills, Press Officer, University of Brighton, 01273 644756)
