Two long-serving and highly respected colleagues in the Institute of Medical Sciences are set to retire this month.
Two long-serving and highly respected colleagues in the Institute of Medical Sciences are set to retire this month.
The University will bid a fond farewell to Professor Helen Galley and Professor Heather Wallace who have both made significant impacts in their respective fields during their time here and will be hugely missed by all who have worked with them.
Heather is Professor of Biochemical Pharmacology and Toxicology and her research has focussed on the role of the polyamine pathway in cancer and on the potential for polyamine inhibitors and natural products to act as chemotherapeutic or chemopreventative agents.
She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Toxicology, Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Drug Discovery and Development and co-ordinated the MSc programme in CP for 35 years. Among her many achievements she also devised and developed the suite of Bio-Business programmes for PG and UG students that encourages and promotes connections between academia and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Out with the University, Heather has held many roles on UK and European regulatory committees, in learned societies and professional bodies and has been President of EUROTOX and of the British Toxicology Society. Currently she is championing the training of toxicologists across Europe to ensure there are appropriately trained toxicologists required by academia, industry and the regulatory communities. She is also an experienced risk assessor for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in Paediatric Medicines and in Herbal Medicines and for European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as vice chair of the Contaminants Panel.
In retirement, Heather is looking forward to spending more time on her hobbies including golf and walking while continuing her role as an advisor to the government and European Commission.
Professor Helen Galley started at the University in 1995 as a Lecturer in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and became a Professor in 2010. Her research interests focus on modulation of inflammatory and immune responses in the critically ill, particularly the use of melatonin as a therapy for inflammation and pain. Outwith the University, she has long been involved with the British Journal of Anaesthesia including being editor for many years and is currently President of the Anaesthetic Research Society.
She has contributed much beyond her core academic activities in research and teaching, being Chair for the North of Scotland research ethics service (NoSRES) for 12 years and, with her strong interests in women and science, co-leading the Athena Swan application for Bronze accreditation for the IMS and now being co-lead for EDI in the Institute. Most recently, she has taken on Chair of the School Ethical Review Board (SERB).
Helen has many interests outwith work including her horses, playing and teaching the ukulele, sewing and has recently taken up paddle boarding. In retirement she will be able to spend more time with her husband and former Institute colleague, Nigel Webster, as well as her children, step-children and grandchildren.