I qualified in 1991 entering Public Health after a variety of junior doctor posts. My academic career commenced at the University of East Anglia, Norwich in 1999. I was awarded an MRC Fellowship in 2001 and my research career has focused on health services research, with randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews principally in pharmacy practice and substance misuse. Alongside my research career, I played an active role in the early days of UEA’s new medical course. I became Norwich Medical School’s Course Director in 2008 and Deputy Head of School in 2012. I moved to become Head of Leicester Medical School in January 2017 and then to the University of Exeter to become Dean of Exeter Medical School in July 2023. I chaired the Part A exam for the Faculty of Public Health (now called the Diplomate Examination), and subsequently was Chair of the Diplomate Development Committee. I have trained many academic clinical trainees at all levels.