Director appointed for King’s Health Partners Centre for Translational Medicine

Prof Philip Newsome PhD, FRCPE has been appointed as the first Director of the King’s Health Partners (KHP) Centre for Translational Medicine, with effect from June 2024.

The Centre for Translational Medicine brings together the organisations of King’s Health Partners and generous funding from the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity. The partnership seeks to improve the health of people locally, nationally, and globally, by accelerating research and innovation that improves the detection, prevention, and treatment of disease. 

Prof Richard Trembath, Executive Director of King's Health Partners (KHP) and Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) said on behalf of the KHP Board:

Professor Newsome brings a wealth of academic and leadership experience to this role. I know he will be an outstanding champion of translational medicine including moves towards personalised healthcare, positioning KHP at the forefront of health innovation. 

As the Centre’s Director, Prof Newsome will provide strategic leadership with a focus on catalysing interdisciplinary and basic-clinical interaction, supporting infrastructure for translational medicine, capacity building and developing the next generation of research leaders, working in partnership with the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre.

Prof Newsome [pictured above] said:

I feel very privileged to be the Centre for Translational Medicine’s first Director, and look forward to working with all the partner organisations to drive forward innovative, world-class research and training that will have significant benefits for patients.

Prof Newsome is currently working at the University of Birmingham where his roles include Director of the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Director of the Centre for Liver & Gastrointestinal Research, Director of the Innovate UK Midlands & Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre, Professor of Experimental Hepatology, and Honorary Consultant Hepatologist. He has held multiple national and international roles including as Secretary-General of the European Association for Study of the Liver from 2019-2021. 

Prof Newsome has also been appointed as a senior Professor of Hepatology in the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences within the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London, and the new Director for the Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology. He will take up the post when he joins King’s College London in June.

Prof Ajay Shah, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King’s College London, said:

Professor Newsome’s appointment will help us realise our vision and ambition for experimental medicine at King’s, building on existing strengths and expertise within the University to maximise the benefits of that research for patients. 

Prof Newsome’s research expertise encompasses cell therapies for liver disease, fatty liver disease, rare metabolic disorders, and liver transplantation, and includes both basic research and clinical trials. He has published more than 150 major research papers and is a frequent contributor to both local and national media, including advising the BBC on stories related to cell therapy. 

Prof Clive Kay, Chief Executive, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:

I am delighted that Prof Newsome has been appointed. We are excited for the development of the Centre for Translational Medicine, which will support us in our endeavours to provide outstanding care for patients and inspire our environment of research, innovation, and education.

Prof Ian Abbs, Chief Executive, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said:

I very much welcome Professor Newsome’s appointment to lead the Centre for Translational Medicine that lies at the heart of our collective efforts to translate new ideas and clinical discoveries into tangible benefit for our patients and the wider populations we serve.  

At King’s Health Partners we are committed to accelerate research and innovation that will advance patient care, an ambition that will impact and improve patient lives. This ambition is core to our role as leading clinical academic organisations to transform the lives of generations to come and will ensure we can attract the most talented researchers and drive wider investment into UK life sciences.

To learn more about the work of the Centre for Translational Medicine, visit its website here.