Professor Amanda Farrin appointed as Director for Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit

As Director of ECTU, Amanda will provide senior leadership within the Usher Institute, serving as a member of the Usher Institute's Executive Committee. She will contribute to the ongoing evolution of the research and education strategies of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine and play a pivotal role in leading a portfolio of internationally-led clinical trials that will transform practice and impact patients, the public, and society. Amanda will also lead the University's clinical trials strategy, building upon the strengths of the University, its connections with NHS Lothian, and the broader Scottish health ecosystem in clinical research.

Amanda joins The University of Edinburgh from the University of Leeds, where she was Professor of Clinical Trials and Evaluation of Complex Interventions and headed up the Complex Interventions Division of the Leeds Institute for Clinical Trials Research. With over 25 years of experience as a medical statistician, Amanda has worked in academia, the NHS, and the pharmaceutical industry, developing and evaluating complex health, social care, and behavioural change interventions in high-priority areas such as stroke, mental health, diet and obesity, cancer, primary care, care homes, and end-of-life care.

Usher’s and the University's strengths in data science, provide a strong foundation for Amanda's expertise and research interests. Her methodological research addresses key challenges in the design, implementation, and analysis of complex intervention evaluations, with a focus on leveraging health systems data to enhance the efficiency and scalability of clinical trials. This alignment of expertise and interests is expected to drive innovation and collaboration in clinical trials research at the University.

We wish her a very warm welcome.

Further information

Edinburgh Clinical Trials | Usher Institute