Research & Innovation welcomes new Associate Directors
The Research & Innovation team at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) is delighted to welcome two new Associate Directors to our senior team, as well as thanking our outgoing Associate Director, Tony Morrison, for his 17 years of leading research at the Trust.
Dr Lisa Newson and Prof Filippo Varese will be joining the Associate Director team in the New Year to work alongside Prof Damien Longson. All three will play a key role in delivering GMMH's research strategy and fostering collaborations between academic researchers and clinical services.
Dr Lisa Newson
Dr Lisa Newson
Lisa Newson is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Applied Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine at Liverpool John Moores University.
Dr Newson is a HCPC-Registered Practitioner Psychologist (Health) with extensive experience in applied health psychology, spanning academia, clinical practice, and public health. With a background in NHS clinical practice, public health commissioning, and academic-health collaborations, she excels at bridging the gap between academia and healthcare to drive real-world impact.
On her new role as Associate Director of Research & Innovation at GMMH, Lisa commented:
“I am delighted to have been appointed Associate Director for Research & Innovation along with Filippo, joining Damien as part of the AD team. I am committed to continuing the department’s work to incorporate lived experiences of healthcare and illness and amplify the service user’s voice throughout the research process.”
Prof Filippo Varese
Prof Filippo Varese
Filippo Varese is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Manchester. He is also the Director of the Complex Trauma & Resilience Research Unit (C-TRU), a collaborative research initiative between GMMH and the University of Manchester.
He has worked at the University of Manchester since 2015, collaborating closely with GMMH on a diverse research programme on trauma, psychosis and other severe mental health problems. Filippo specialises in psychological approaches to understanding and treating severe mental health problems, and the use of trauma-informed and trauma-specific interventions in a range of settings. His research has contributed to understanding how traumatic experiences influence mental health, and he has led several NIHR-funded trials evaluating innovative psychological interventions.
Filippo commented:
"Research is fundamental to delivering excellent mental health care. I want GMMH to be fertile ground where researchers, NHS staff, and people with lived experience come together as peers and allies to develop the transformative ideas that will shape the future of mental health care in the NHS."
Prof Damien Longson, existing Associate Director of Research & Innovation, oversaw the recruitment of the two positions. He commented:
“We are delighted to welcome two new Associate Directors whose skills and competencies will not only ensure that current good practice and initiatives continue, but who will also bring in new ideas and creative solutions from their current roles and experience.
“The timing of these appointments, as our department is about to launch into a new 5-year strategy, is ideal. We are looking forward to working with both Lisa and Filippo in growing our activity and increasing the impact of research for the benefit of patients and clinical services.”
Prof Tony Morrison
Thanking Prof Tony Morrison
The recruitment of two new Associate Directors has taken place as Professor Tony Morrison announced his intention to step back from his leadership role in the department to focus more on his role as Director of the Psychosis Research Unit (PRU) and several NIHR-funded clinical trials which he leads on.
Tony has led on Research & Innovation activities at GMMH since 2017, bringing his years of expertise and knowledge having led Research & Development when the Trust was previously known as Greater Manchester West (GMW). From starting the Psychosis Research Unit (PRU) in 2008, he also oversaw the development of ten research units which brought record levels of research and grant income into the Trust.
Natalie Garratt, Head of Research & Innovation at GMMH, said:
“Whilst we will continue to work closely with Tony each day, we want to take a moment to thank him for his leadership of Research & Innovation. He has supported countless researchers and colleagues, and represented the department at the most senior levels, promoting research integration and championing the role of the service user in research design and delivery.”
If you would like to find out more about what goes on at Research & Innovation at GMMH, you can visit our website here and find out more about the leadership team here.
