Susan Burgess

Finance Controller

Susan Burgess has a 2:1 BAcc Hons Accounting degree from the University of the West of Scotland and is a part qualified ACCA accountant with several years’ experience working in finance. Susan joined SHIL on a part-time basis as Finance Assistant in June 2015 and has recently been promoted the post of Financial Controller managing all aspects of the accounts and HR.

Simon Cree

Communications Officer

Simon Cree holds a 2:1 BSc (Hons) degree in English Literature from the University of Strathclyde. His background is in publishing, where he worked for an independent press based in Glasgow before joining the Scottish Government on a contracted basis, as part of the team tasked with developing the new gov.scot corporate website. Simon joined Scottish Health Innovations as Communications Officer in October 2016.

Fiona Fleming

Communications Manager

Fiona Fleming holds a BA in Marketing and Business Law from Strathclyde University, is a Chartered Public Relations Practitioners (CIPR), member of Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and is currently undertaking MSc in Science Communication and Public Engagement at University of Edinburgh. Fiona has over 14 years’ experience spanning public relations, events, marketing and communications working across a variety of sectors. Following four years as Events & PR Manager at Glasgow’s largest college including work on the merger and rebrand of City of Glasgow College, Fiona joined NHS Health Scotland in 2011 as Events & Sponsorship Manager, and latterly Communications Manager managing a team responsible for events, social media, public affairs, sponsorship and corporate communications. Following secondment to the Scottish Government media team working across the health portfolio, Fiona joined NHS Research Scotland in 2015 as Communications Manager and now manages communications across the NRS and SHIL portfolio.

Elaine Gemmell

Head of Special Projects

Joining SHIL in 2002, Elaine helped establish the organisation. With more than fifteen years’ experience in medical device development, she is a certified ISO 13485 /ISO 9001 Lead Auditor and has experience of regulatory approval and CE marking for medical devices.

Joining SHIL spinout company, Clear Surgical, as a Director, Head of Regulatory Compliance and laterally Chief Operating Officer, she has helped to establish the company with ISO 13485 accreditation and launch two innovative devices, The Oplight™ and Cannulated Forceps, onto the market. With a BSc, BEng in Engineering, Elaine previously worked with Motorola Semiconductors for twenty years, gaining experience in manufacturing, design and technical marketing.

Eva Gnatiuk

Graphic Designer

Eva holds a first Hons degree in Digital Media from Edinburgh Napier University. Their background is in printmaking, photography and graphic design. They worked for the Humanist Society Scotland, Plan Vivo Foundation and Culture Republic before joining SHIL in Dec 2017 and continues to work as a freelancer in multi-media [content creation] for the arts sector.

Gillian Henderson

Head of Project Management

Gillian Henderson is a graduate in Applied Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde and has over 15 years’ experience in Medical Device development, sales and marketing. She has worked with SHIL for 5 years, and prior to this was involved in a number of Scottish SMEs and medical device start-ups.

Sheena MacCormick

Innovation Manager

Sheena has a degree in Economics and French and a post graduate diploma in marketing and European languages.  Sheena’s background is in market research and prior to joining SHIL she worked for a number of market research agencies, which involved working with a range of different clients on both qualitative and quantitative projects. Latterly, Sheena worked on the English National Patient Survey programme, managing surveys across health care Trusts in England. This work provided patient feedback for both the Care Quality Commission and individual Trusts and was aimed at promoting patient centred care.

Marianne Murphy

Project Manager

Marianne Murphy is a graduate of The University of Strathclyde, armed with an Honours degree in Immunology and Pharmacology. After taking a gap year to travel, Marianne joined SHIL in 2014 as a Graduate Project Manager. Two and a half years later, having completed project management training, Marianne is enjoying the challenge of working on a number of diverse projects and seeing how these innovations could make a real difference to patient care.

Chris Neilson

Project Manager

Chris Neilson is a graduate in Product Design, Medical Devices and has four years’ experience in Biomedical engineering. His enthusiasm for innovative design and passion for well-engineered solutions has led him to being a part of the Scottish Health Innovations team, the best starting point for great ideas and the quickest and most direct route to the target market, the patient. As part of the SHIL team, Chris is seeking to make a difference through the work he carries out.

Robert Rea

Head of Innovation

Robert Rea holds a BSc (Hons) Developmental Biology, University of Edinburgh, (1998). He completed a Ph.D in Biology from the University of York in 2002, specifically in genetics of plant cell division, and completed post-doctoral research fellowships at Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, Australia in dendritic cell immunology, 2003-2004. After that, Robert worked at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia developing novel stem cell-based therapies for kidney disease between 2004-2006.

Robert became Automation Manager for Swedish biotech company Cellartis in 2007, and became Intellectual Property Manager for French biotech company Cellectis in 2010. He held the position of Business Development Executive at the University of St Andrews from 2013-2014, before joining SHIL as Head of Innovation in 2014.

Fiona Schaefer

Innovation Manager

Throughout her career Fiona has been championing the benefits of innovation and collaboration since gaining her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde over 20 years ago.  She has worked across industry, academia and the public sector and diverse fields such as Food & Drink, Life Sciences, Creative Industries and Renewables.  As co-founder of the Intellectual Assets Centre, she helped individuals and companies to identify, protect, develop and harness value from their ideas, knowledge and inventions. At Interface she assisted a wide range of businesses to build academic collaborations enabling them to develop new and improved products and services.  Most recently, Fiona was supporting academics and clinicians to apply for research funding at the University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, working closely with the NHS.

Graham Watson

Executive Chairman

Graham Watson LLB CA FRSA is an experienced non-executive director with a strong commercial track record.

He has a rich mix of recent non-executive and advisory responsibilities in Scotland, covering The Law Society of Scotland (where he is a member of Council), the Court of Heriot-Watt University (where he also chairs the Finance Committee), Scottish Futures Trust and North Lanarkshire Leisure Limited (where he also chaired the Audit Committee).

He is a former partner in a Big 4 accounting firm, with extensive experience of working with SME clients delivering business development and strategic planning programmes and leading change initiatives. During his career, he has initiated and executed over 100 corporate transactions, valued at over £2bn. He has lived and worked in Silicon Valley, as well as in Scotland, during his 35-year business career.

Graeme Boyle

Non-Executive Director

Graeme is the Senior R&D Manager at the Tayside Medical Science Centre (TASC). He leads a team responsible for clinical research management and governance, on behalf of NHS Tayside and University of Dundee, across a range of therapeutic areas.                    

Prior to TASC he led the Executive team at Health Science Scotland (HSS) and was interim Director of the Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre. Graeme joined HSS from Nexxus, the Scottish life science network, where he was Director.  For the previous decade, he ran an international technology consultancy company, A Half MV Squared, and delivered a range of business growth projects, especially in West Coast USA.

He is a qualified biochemist with industrial experience; his expertise lies in technology marketing and corporate development, to which he brings a unique perspective, having held senior posts in multinational enterprises (Siemens, TÜV Süddeutschland) and in government (Scottish Enterprise, UK DTI).

Graeme is a co-founder of the European Diagnostics Cluster Alliance (EDCA), a Board member of the Council of the European Bio-Regions (CEBR), on the UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Life Sciences, Chair of the Tayside Institute of Cardiovascular Research Charity and was on the Advisory Board of the Glasgow Science Centre Bodyworks group.

Julie Brittenden

Non-Executive Director

Professor Julie Brittenden graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of surgery degree in 1988 and obtained a Doctor of Medicine with honours in 1995. She has worked in Aberdeen and Edinburgh before moving to Glasgow in November 2015.  Julie is Director of Research & Development for NHS GGC, Director of the joint NHSGGG & Glasgow University Clinical Research Facilities Professor of Vascular Surgery ,College of Medical ,Veterinary and Life  Sciences University of Glasgow   and a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow.

Professor Brittenden’s research interests include the role of specific biomarkers (NT proBNP, SDMA, platelet function) as prognostic markers of cardiac risk in patients with peripheral arterial disease; evaluating and imaging of unstable carotid plaques; and venous disease. She has been involved in a number of multicentre trials and is the chief investigator of the National Institute for Health, Health Technology CLASS study: a multicentre trial comparing 3 treatment options for varicose veins.

Maggie Cruikshank

Non-Executive Director

Professor Maggie Cruickshank graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1985 and was recently appointed to Director of NHS Grampian Research and Development.

She has a programme of research in pre-invasive disease of the lower genital tract with a focus on Human Papillomavirus infection (HPV) and cervical screening.  As honorary consultant Gynaecologist, she leads the Colposcopy and specialist vulva disorders services.

Jann Gardner

Non-Executive Director

Jann Gardner took up the post of Chief Executive, Golden Jubilee National Hospital on 21 January 2019.

With more than 25 years of NHS and private healthcare management experience, Jann has had a variety of senior leadership roles in clinical, operations, strategy and transformation.

Having started her career as a clinical pharmacist, she worked through progressively senior roles in her professional field and then within wider hospital and healthcare management.

Prior to joining NHS Golden Jubilee, Jann was Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at NHS Fife.

Jacob George

Non-Executive Director

Professor Jacob George is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine & Therapeutics and R&D Director for the East of Scotland NHS Research Scotland Node. Professor George is Director of the Tayside Medical Sciences Centre (TASC - https://www.ahspartnership.org.uk/tasc) comprising of the UKCRN registered Tayside Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Research Centre, Tayside Biorepository, Clinical Research Imaging Facility, Research Governance, TASC Legal, Research Finance, Commercial and Non-Commercial Trial teams as well as the East of Scotland Research Ethics Service.

He is actively involved in Medicines Governance in Scotland, being both the Chair of the Medicines Advisory Group since 2009 and Tayside representative on the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) (2010-2019). He also sits on the National Appeals Panel for drugs not approved by the SMC. He was recently appointed by the Minister of Health, Malaysia as an International Expert Member of the Malaysian Scientific Review Panel for Phase I Clinical Trials.

Professionally, he is a Consultant Physician in qualified in Clinical Pharmacology and General Internal Medicine and is an accredited European Hypertension Specialist. His clinical interest is in managing patients with high Cardiovascular risk. He is also Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine & Therapeutics at the University of Dundee Medical School. His research interests are focused on reducing cardiovascular risk factors. His research publications have been covered by more than 50 news organizations worldwide and he has conducted more than 80 media interviews including live television broadcasts to national and international media on the results of his research.

Douglas Griffin

Non-Executive Director

Douglas Griffin was educated at the High School of Glasgow, then University of Glasgow, where graduated with MA Honours in Modern and Scottish History in 1978. Added Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy in 1979 before joining PMM and Co.

He worked for Pilkington Optronics within the defence industry from 1984 until 1993, as Chief Accountant from 1988 until 1993. Trained with Peat Marwick Mitchell and Co, now KPMG, qualifying CA in 1982. Left to join Pilkington Optronics in 1984.

Douglas became Director of Finance and Operations Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust from 1993 until 1998, then Director of Finance NHS Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust from 1998 until 2005. Latterly, he became Director of Finance NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde from 2005 until he retired in 2011.

Colin Morgan

Director and Vice-Chair

Formerly with the Johnson & Johnson Medical Device companies in the UK & Ireland for 36 years with responsibilities split equally between UK and International markets, Colin’s current appointments include; Director & Vice Chair Scottish Health Innovations Limited (SHIL) (2006 to date); Director & Trustee James IV Association of Surgeons (2009 to date), Trustee Director -The Laggan Forest Trust (2016 to date), Patron - Royal College of Surgeon of England (2004).

Previous appointments have included: Managing Director J&J Medical UK (1995-2012), Chair Scottish Enterprise Medical Technology Strategy Group (2012-2016), Industry Co-Chair of MMSTG (UK Dept of Health Medical Technology Strategy steering Group, 2010 - 2012), Chair of ABHI (Association of British Healthcare Industries – 2004-2007), Member NHS England Innovation Health & Wealth (IHW) board and Innovation Partnership Board (IPB) for NHS Scotland.

Colin has received Honorary Fellowships from the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow; the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain & Ireland and was appointed an OBE in 2008 for Services to the Medical Device Industry.

Gordon Watt

Non-Executive Director

Gordon joined the Chief Scientist Office in 2014 after various posts in the Scottish Government, including Head of Youth Justice, Senior Policy Manager in the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser and Head of Children’s Hearings Branch.  Gordon is now Research Manager (Government, Ethics and Funding) and was appointed to the board in 2015 in order to represent the interests of the Scottish Ministers.