New Executive Dean for Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria
Northumbria University has appointed a new Executive Dean to lead its Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
Professor Dianne Ford joins Northumbria from Newcastle University, where she was a Professor of Molecular Nutrition and Director of PhD Studies in the Faculty of Medical Sciences.
She will lead Northumbria’s largest academic faculty, which has almost 12,000 students and 595 staff. The faculty has a diverse portfolio of 250 courses, many of which are accredited by leading government and professional bodies, and is the principal provider of nurse education in the north east of England. It teaches students across the subject areas of applied sciences, education and lifelong learning, psychology, social work and communities, sport exercise and rehabilitation as well as healthcare and public health and wellbeing.
Prof. Ford is a Fellow of the Society of Biology and has published extensive research into understanding how our diet interacts with cellular function. She examines the ways in which they subsequently choose to use or store energy and has worked collaboratively with numerous international universities including Melbourne’s Deakin University and Aachen University in Germany.
Speaking about her appointment, Prof. Ford said: “I have been so inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of everyone in the University, and particularly in the senior team, to drive and develop research at Northumbria. I am very much looking forward to helping the faculty further develop its already strong research activity and areas of specialism.”
Prof. Ford replaces Prof. Kath McCourt CBE who retired in March after working at Northumbria for 21 years.
