The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has appointed Michael Grocott, BSc, MBBS, MD, FRCA, FRCP, FFICM, adjunct professor at Duke Anesthesiology, as a senior investigator. This designation is given annually to those throughout the United Kingdom who are considered among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR and the most outstanding leaders of patient and people-based research within the NIHR faculty.
Overall, 55 senior investigators have been appointed to the NIHR College of Senior Investigators for 2018. Of these are 43 new senior investigators, including Professor Grocott. He is notably this year’s sole recipient whose primary field of research is anesthetics, marking only the third senior investigator appointment in anesthesia since the award system began 11 years ago. As part of his new role, Professor Grocott will: 1) provide research leadership to NIHR faculty, promoting clinical and applied research in health and social care, 2) help with planning and speaking at events, 3) host visiting fellows and mentor trainees, and 4) constitute a network of experts, able to provide advice to the Department of Health’s chief scientific adviser. In total, more than 300 senior investigators have been appointed.
According to the NIHR, their mission is to provide a health research system in which the National Health Service (NHS) supports outstanding individuals working in world-class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public.
Professor Grocott is a professor of anaesthesia and critical care medicine at the University of Southampton and a consultant in critical care medicine at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in England. He collaborates with Duke Anesthesiology on projects including the Morpheus Consortium and Xtreme Everest. His research interests include human responses to hypoxia, oxygen transport and utilization, measuring and improving outcome following surgery, acute lung injury, and fluid therapy.