The University of Aberdeen and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Scotland have jointly appointed Dr Jane Knight. She has taken up her new post as a Consultant in Public Health Medicine; Clinical Senior Lecturer for the University, and as Public Health Medical Advisor for the FSA.
Dr Knight, who lives in Aberdeenshire, will split her working week between the University’s Department of Public Health and the FSA Scotland. She was previously employed by Tayside Health Board, where she was a Senior Registrar in the Public Health Medicine Department (Communicable Disease and Environmental Health), and before that was Acting Consultant in Lothian Health Public Medicine Department (Communicable Disease and Environmental Health).
Dr Knight has had a broad career in public health medicine. A graduate of the University of St Andrews (1973) and Dundee University (1996), she is an Honorary Research Fellow within the Department of Medicine, at the University of Dundee. Her current MD thesis is on the subject of the psychosocial impact of disability and is based on her work as a Research Fellow at St Andrews University, School of Psychology. She also holds an Honorary Consultant position at the Scottish Centre for Infections and Environmental Health in Glasgow.
On her appointment, Dr Knight said: “I am bringing to this new post an extensive range of skills from both within and without Public Health Medicine. Food borne disease has been part of my Communicable Disease and Environmental Health (CD&EH) work and transferable research and public health medicine skills have been acquired from previous research and service projects I have been involved in over the years. I am very much looking forward to the opportunity and challenges of developing this post.”
This is a new combined post between the University and FSA Scotland. One of Dr Knight’s primary responsibilities while working for the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences will be the development of a programme of research on foodborne pathogens within the Infection and Immunity Research Centre. In addition, she will be responsible for the teaching of epidemiology and control at undergraduate and postgraduate levels within the Department of Public Health.
Her main role while performing FSA Scotland’s responsibilities include providing public health advice to FSA Scotland in terms of food legislation and policies.
Commenting on the new appointment, Dean of the Medical Faculty, Professor Stephen Logan, said: “I would like to welcome Dr Knight in her new position. I am delighted that the University is developing collaboration with the Food Standards Agency, in an area of food safety where Aberdeen has an excellent track record.
“With Dr Knight’s new appointment, the University will be getting research into practice by linking the research and teaching expertise of an academic institution with the FSA towards protection of the public and food safety.
“I welcome the fresh perspective that she will bring.”
Further Information:
Angela Begg, University of Aberdeen, Media Relations Office, Telephone: 01224 272960.
Issued by Public Relations Office, External Relations, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen. Tel: 01224 272014 Fax: 01224 272086.
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-272960 or email a.begg@abdn.ac.uk.