University of Leicester showcases ground-breaking research to Executive Chair of Research England

The Executive Chair of Research England visited the University of Leicester to meet with key researchers and women leaders from across the institution.

Dame Jessica Corner met with researchers at Space Park Leicester and Glenfield Hospital who showcased some of the University’s ground-breaking research.

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, Professor Phil Baker, spoke with Dame Jessica about the strengths of University of Leicester’s research at Space Park Leicester, as part of a tour by Professor Martin Barstow, Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Dame Jessica also met with colleagues from the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) which uses satellites and world-class data interpretation to monitor the health of the planet, and EarthSense, a company that offers air quality monitoring services – both are based at Space Park.

At Glenfield Hospital, Dame Jessica was given an overview of the University’s health research by Professor Chris Brightling, Director of the Institute for Precision Health and professor of respiratory medicine. Conversation focused on the University’s response to COVID-19 as well as its ethnic health research.

Dame Jessica also held discussions with Professor Melanie Davies, Director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre; Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine; and Professor Gavin Murphy, British Heart Foundation Chair of Cardiac Surgery.

Later that day, Dame Jessica spoke to a group of women leaders at the University on her career highlights and reflections in a talk led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Kerry Law. There, she spoke about how mentorship and friendship helped to guide her through her career.

Dame Jessica started her career as a nurse before graduating with her PhD from King’s College London. Before she joined Research England, she had been Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at University of Nottingham and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Science at the University of Southampton.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Kerry Law said: “What a privilege to have Dame Jessica join us to give an inspirational talk on her career to date and share excellent advice to our women leaders here at Leicester.”

Speaking about the visit to the University of Leicester, Dame Jessica said: “I was delighted to be asked to talk with such a diverse group of women from across the University of Leicester at this important event.

“There is often little time to pause to reflect on our careers and think collectively about how we navigate them as well as support each other.

“My excellent visit to Space Park Leicester and Glenfield Hospital beforehand really does demonstrate the ambition of our sector and the power of collaboration, and served as a useful reminder about what more we can achieve working in partnership.”

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, Professor Phil Baker, said: “Dame Jessica’s visit has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the quality of research being conducted at the University of Leicester.

“Our results in the Research Excellence Framework 2021, placed us in the top 30 of UK Universities for research* with 89% of the University's research activity judged to be ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*).

“Having the opportunity to consult with Dame Corner on how to further the impact of University’s research will certainly prove invaluable in the development of our research strategy for the future.”

As Executive Chair for Research England, which is part of UK Research and Innovation, Dame Jessica leads the biggest research funder in the UK.

*According to analysis by Times Higher Education