University of East Anglia appoints new Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation
By: Communications
Professor Julian Blow has been named as the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) for Research & Innovation at the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Prof Blow, who will begin in his new post in July, joins UEA from the University of Dundee, where he is currently Dean of the School of Life Sciences. He brings with him a wealth of experience, after many years as a leading researcher.
As PVC for Research & Innovation, he will head up the delivery of excellence in research and innovation, one of the key strands of UEA’s Strategy 2030; lead the University’s innovation and research commercialisation ambitions; oversee UEA’s submission to the next Research Excellence Framework (REF); and continue to intensify research around the University’s three strategic research themes: ClimateUEA, CreativeUEA and HealthUEA.
Continuing to deliver global research impact
Julian joined the University of Dundee in 1997, becoming Dean of School in 2016. Dundee is one of the world’s leading centres for Life Sciences research. Between March 2020 and September 2021, Julian was Interim Vice-Principal (Academic Planning and Performance) and a member of the University Executive Group, before returning to his role as Dean in December 2021.
He said: “I am delighted to be joining UEA at what is an exciting time for the University.
“UEA has a reputation for groundbreaking, world-leading research in a variety of academic fields, and I look forward to supporting the many new and ongoing projects at the University, and building on the excellent REF results to continue to deliver global research impact.”
Julian is Professor of Chromosome Maintenance and an active researcher, and will be bringing his lab to UEA. He was awarded his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1987, and worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Nobel Prize winner and UEA alumnus Prof Paul Nurse at the University of Oxford.
Julian is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, and Chair of the Lister Institute Scientific Committee.
Vice-Chancellor Professor David Maguire said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Julian into this vitally important role. We are thrilled to have been able to appoint someone of Professor Blow’s standing and experience.
“Our 2030 Strategy outlines research and innovation as one of our key priority areas of work, so it’s very pleasing to have someone as experienced and well respected as Julian to head up and drive success in this area in the coming years.”
Prof Blow succeeds Prof Brian Reid, who has held the R&I PVC role on an interim basis following Prof Fiona Lettice’s departure from UEA last year, after nearly two decades at the University.
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