Professor Iain Cumming Appointed as Head of Medway School of Pharmacy
Professor Iain Cumming, an established figure in the international pharmaceutical industry, has been appointed as the new Head of Medway School of Pharmacy. He will also hold the prestigious title of Pfizer Chair of Pharmacy.
Medway School of Pharmacy, which was established in 2004, is a joint initiative of the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent. It is supported by the international pharmaceutical company Pfizer Ltd which is providing sponsorship worth £500,000 over a five-year period.
Professor Cumming will take up his new post in August. He will lead a team of over 50 staff and 500 students based on the Universities at Medway Campus at Chatham Maritime. His previous role was as European Vice-President, Research & Development and Quality, at IVAX Pharmaceuticals where he was responsible for introducing new generic pharmaceuticals, as well as the innovation of new inhalation devices and their resulting products.
With a distinguished background as a researcher and senior manager, Professor Cumming’s career straddles both academia and industry. Trained as a pharmacist at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, he went on to work as a researcher at the pharmaceutical company Napp Laboratories Ltd on the Cambridge Science Park. Six years later he returned to the Robert Gordon University as a Lecturer in Pharmaceutics & Drug Delivery Systems. In 1994 he moved to the Elan Corporation in Ireland, where he became Vice-President, Oral Product Development, with global responsibility for developing new products. During his time at Elan, Professor Cumming also set the scientific direction for the organisation and helped to manage a number of joint ventures in the field of biotechnology.
Professor Cumming says: “Medway School of Pharmacy has built up a terrific reputation over the last three years and I am delighted that my return to academic life will be to join such a young and dynamic organisation.
“Kent and Greenwich universities have invested heavily in top class facilities and have attracted an excellent teaching and research team to the School. I am looking forward to leading its development in the years ahead.”
In a joint statement, the Vice-Chancellors of the two universities, the Right Hon Baroness Blackstone (Greenwich) and Professor Sir David Melville CBE (Kent) say: “We are delighted that Professor Cumming has accepted the post of Head of Medway School of Pharmacy. He brings valuable experience and skills to the School and is committed to taking this successful venture to the next stage in its achievements.”
For further information:
Caron Jones
Press Office
University of Greenwich
020 8331 8248
e-mail: caron.jones@gre.ac.uk
Or
Nick EllwoodUniversity of Kent
Tel: 01634 888879
e-mail: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk