ASME Senior Officers and Council Members

Senior Officers

Sir Graeme Catto

I was born in Aberdeen on 24th April 1945, the son of a local general practitioner. I attended Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen from 1950 - 63 becoming school captain and gaining the Otaki Shield for the pupil outstanding in character, leadership and athletics.  I studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen, gaining a Carnegie Studentship to Northwestern University, Chicago in 1968 and graduating MB ChB with honours in 1969 as the most distinguished graduate of the year.

Two years later I obtained the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP UK) and developed an interest in both general and renal medicine. Research into the bone disease associated with renal failure led to an MD (Hons) in 1975 and a Harkness Fellowship of the Commonwealth Fund of New York to study medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.

Back in Aberdeen as a senior lecturer in medicine and honorary consultant physician and nephrologist, I created an active renal research group studying transplant immunology, renal bone disease and the facilities required for patients with kidney disease. Over time, I became medical director of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, professor then dean and vice-principal of Aberdeen University. In 1996, I became Chief Scientist for the NHS in Scotland, a member of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and then chairman of the General Medical Council's education committee. A fellow of all three medical royal colleges of physicians, I became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and both a founder fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and its first treasurer. For a decade from 1995 I was Chairman of the Board of Governors of Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen.

In 2000, I became Vice-Principal at King's College London and Dean of Guy's, King's College and St Thomas' Hospitals' Medical & Dental School. Knighted in 2002 for services to medicine and medical education, I became President of the General Medical Council, where I had to deal with the consequences of the Dr Harold Shipman inquiry, and Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of London at a time of major change. I was a member of the South East London Strategic Health Authority and sought to promote interprofessional education in healthcare.

I have chaired the Scottish Stem Cell Network since 2008, chair the Better Regulation Group for Universities UK, am President of the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME), Vice-President of the Academy of Experts and Patron of the Medical Council on Alcohol.

Married since 1967 to Joan (née Sievewright).  We have two children, six grandchildren, two English setters and live for part of the time in Glenbuchat in the Cairngorms National Park. I am a member of the Athenaeum and Royal Northern & University Clubs and enjoy the hills and glens of NE Scotland.

Miss Nicky Pender

Born in 1965, the youngest of 3 girls, I was educated at Parsons Green Primary School and Portobello High School, both Edinburgh.  On leaving school, I worked predominantly in the insurance industry (from 1982- 1992).  I then became a medical secretary in the Department of Haematology at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.  A couple of years later, I moved to the Special Health Board, Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCPMDE).  In 1999 I joined ASME as a clerical officer and moved through the ranks as the years progressed.  I completed an Open University degree in Business Studies in 2006, having studied while working full time for ASME.

I took on the role as Chief Executive Officer in August 2010.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I qualified from Manchester University and became a Senior Lecturer in Medicine and Transplant Immunology in 1995.  I have always had an interest in medical education, both undergraduate and postgraduate. In 2000 I moved into medical education full-time, taking up the Chair of Medical Education and Director of the Medical Education Unit in Leeds. I currently chair the MB ChB committee, have a major responsibility for assessment and have a key role in the quality management and enhancement programme. I continue to pursue and publish in my area of research interest in assessment, widening access and participation and inter-professional learning.  I am Chair of ASME Council (with effect from July 2010).

Professor Patsy Stark

Until December 2009 I was Professor of Medical Education at the University of Sheffield where I led on many key areas of curriculum development and implementation. I was appointed to the post of Professor of Clinical Education and Director of Clinical Skills at the University of Leeds where I led on the establishment of a multi-professional, city wide clinical skills facility. I retired from the University in June 2011 and am Professor Emeritus.

I am a consultant to a number of overseas medical schools and NGOs, hold a University of Sheffield Senate Award for Excellence and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My academic interests are in the interface between health policy and medical education, curriculum and clinical skills development, and professionalism.  I took up the role of ASME's Director of Strategic Development on 1st November 2010.

Dr Clare Wedderburn

Qualifying from Guy’s and St Thomas’s United Medical and Dental Schools, London in 1993, I went onto complete GP Specialty training in 1997 and now work as a general practitioner in a deprived part of Bournemouth.  During my career, I have pursued interests in medical education, clinical teaching and writing; taking on different regional and national roles which have included working as a Training Programme Director, involvement in National GP Speciality Recruitment and for the past 5 years working as the Associate Postgraduate GP Dean for Dorset in the Wessex Deanery.  My academic interests relate to the quality assurance of postgraduate medical education, leadership and the development of innovative approaches to delivering generic competency teaching for senior clinicians in both primary and secondary care.

Members of ASME Council

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

My links with ASME extend over many years, as a reviewer, Council member, conference organiser, and more recently as a researcher and member of the Executive committee. I have a wealth of experience teaching, designing, quality assuring and researching medical education - including the development of the first taught Masters programme in Medical Education in the UK. My commitment to ASME goals, values and aspirations remains as high today as ever and I would welcome the opportunity to continue to work with the Executive to further the strategic development of ASME.

Professor John N Baxter

I was born and educated in New Zealand and completed higher surgical training in New Zealand and came to the UK to Liverpool where I became senior lecturer and the associate professor of surgery returning to New Zealand in 1987. I then took up a post in Glasgow and was promoted to reader and professor of general surgery in the University of Wales, Swansea in 1996. My main research and clinical interests are portal hypertension, laparoscopic surgery, obesity and antireflex surgery. I have taught undergraduates for over 20 years and was until recently the quality assurance officer for teaching in the faculty of medicine at the University of Glasgow.  I was also course organiser and teacher of a taught MSc course for several years. My current educational interest is in establishing new taught MSc courses for surgical trainees.

Professor Jennifer Cleland

Since 2000 I have been a member of the team responsible for strategic management and delivery of the Aberdeen MBChB with specific responsibility for communication skills. My research interests are: communication skills and co-ordinating the PG/UG communication skills programmes; e-learning; implementing effective feedback and support systems in education and practice. I am known locally for enthusiastically supporting junior teaching staff research. I lead the Scottish Doctor Communication Skills Standard Setting Sub-group on a recently funded HEA grant, with Peninsula Medical School. My goals are to support best practice and promote high quality research in medical education.  I am the Chair of ASME's Education Research Group.

Dr G M Cochrane

I am a Consultant Physician and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Guy's Hospital, London and Dean/Director of Postgraduate Medicine, Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals Trust and United Medical and Dental Schools. I qualified from Guy's Hospital and trained in general and respiratory medicine at the Brompton Hospital. My research interests include the pathophysiology of asthma and the psychological aspects of compliance with therapy in asthma and chronic bronchitis. I was Deputy Director of Medicine, Guy's Hospital and Clinical Adviser/Senior Clinical Adviser to undergraduate students at Guy's.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I graduated in 1973 and have been involved in medical education since 1989. I gained a Masters in Medical Education in 2001 and am a member of the Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.  I am currently the JASME liaison person on ASME's Executive Committee.

Professor Phillip Cotton

I am a senior lecturer in general practice and co-ordinate vocational studies in years 1 & 2 of the undergraduate curriculum. I am interested in communication skills, clinical skills and professionalism. I co-ordinate community based medical education chair the Education Management Group in general practice. I am involved in education research and have taken the lead in personal and professional development in the curriculum.

Dr Deborah Gill

I qualified as a doctor in 1990. Following an academic training year in the department of primary care at Bart's I was appointed lecturer on the pan-Thames CeMENT Project developing and evaluating community-based education. I became senior lecturer in medical education in 2002. I am responsible for the staff development of over 3,000 teachers. I am academic lead for professional development and have established an extensive peer assisted learning programme developing tomorrow's teachers. I completed a Masters in education in 2002. I am HEA advocate for the school. I combine my academic work with a day a week in general practice.

Professor This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I am the Director of a leading multiprofessional skills centre. I continue to have a part-time clinical commitment in general practice. She has helped to establish a successful Clinical Skills Network in Scotland and is enthusiastic in promoting medical education in its broader sense, to all healthcare professionals.  Through involvement in a number of medical education projects abroad in Bangladesh, Latvia and Moldova, Jean has developed interests in clinical skills, professionalism, reflection and assessment. I am keen to further the aims of ASME to incorporate high standards of educational practice in to the professional practice of medicine.

Dr Jane Metcalf

I have been a Senior Lecturer in medical education at Newcastle University and Consultant Gastroenterologist at University Hospital of North Tees since 2000. I am a Fellow for CETL4HEALTHNE. I am on the editorial sub-board for The Clinical Teacher. My interests include interprofessional education (IPE), peer teaching and professionalism. I have collaboratively developed IPE an undergraduate and postgraduate level including training in patient safety, chronic disease management and end of life care. I am keen to develop multi-centre projects in clinical education and embed IPE with curricula for healthcare students.

Professor Gillian Needham

I am the postgraduate dean for the North of Scotland and as such lead Foundation and Specialty Training programmes across a range of diverse health systems, from large urban to remote.  With university and NHS partners I have developed and sustained innovative rural-interest and rural-track programmes with the ambition of ensuring the success of healthcare across the North of Scotland.  I am UK Lead Postgraduate Dean for the neurosciences group of specialties and Emergency Medicine and through the rough (and smooth?) of MMC implementation have tried to steer a steady course towards excellence in trainee experience of postgraduate medical education.  I have been a GMC QABME Visitor for 7 years and was a PMETB partner with experience of visits and panel work.

Dr David Pearson

I believe ASME has an important continuing role to play in promoting high quality undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, and in helping medical education gain and share ideas with other professional groups.  ASME's strength lies in being responsive to the wishes of its membership - we need to be careful to seek and listen to those ideas.  I believe we should:

• encourage junior medical educators through involvement at conferences and meetings
• remain small and with a mainly UK focus - never slow to share ideas with international colleagues, but neither seeking to compete with AMEE or similar organisations.
• encourage the dissemination of good practice in education, however embryonic or innovative, as well as encouraging high quality research into educational methods.

Dr Lesley Pugsley

I am an active member of the Association and a keen supporter of its aims and objectives.  A senior lecturer in Medical Education at Cardiff University, with a background in policy sociology, I really enjoy both teaching and research.  I contribute to the Medical Education courses that are offered at Cardiff and I have been involved with a broad spectrum of research projects looking at a variety of different aspects of medical education.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After spending twenty years in further education, I joined the University of Liverpool in 1999 as the Staff Development Officer for the Faculty of Medicine. Since then I have been extensively involved in the teacher training of hospital doctors and GPs and in a range of initiatives in the field of medical education. I regularly contribute to workshops at Annual Conference and helped develop an ASME seminar on 'Standards for Clinical Educators'. My main interest is in promoting and enhancing teaching quality, particularly in the clinical environment.

Dr Iain Robbé

I qualified in medicine in 1980. My current post is within the School of Medicine, Cardiff University (since 1993). I completed the Masters in Medical Education Course in 2000 with distinction degree award. The philosophies underpinning my educational practices are humanism and andragogy. Current teaching involves medical undergraduates and postgraduates. I am also an external examiner.  My research includes personal and professional development; teaching governance and curriculum evaluation. I am co-holder of grants from The Royal College of Surgeons (England), The Faculty of Public Health Medicine and The Welsh Assembly Government. I have presented papers, posters and workshops at medical education meetings.

Professor D A Shaw

Professor Shaw, Vice President of ASME, is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Newcastle. He was Dean of Medicine until 1989 and was Chairman of the GMC Education Committee until 1994. Since then he has been the Medical Co-ordinator Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I have been a medical teacher for over 20 years and active in ASME for 10 years. I hold masters degrees in medical and general education and have been active in educational research at the Institute of Education, London. I have been a Director of Undergraduate Medical Education, a College Tutor, a Programme Director, an examiner for the MRCP(UK), an external examiner for two UK universities and a Dean for Admissions. I am currently an honorary university reader in medical education and an external examiner for the membership examination of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare of the RCOG. I have been an education visitor for the GMC (QABME) for 7 years and a deputy team leader. My current interests are in mentoring, competence-based models of medical education, learner-centered education and teaching. 

Professor Olwyn Westwood

Olwyn Westwood is Professor of Medical Education and Associate Dean (Education Quality) at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London. She has worked for over 20 years in medical and healthcare education, is an experienced external examiner and a GMC visitor for Quality Assurance in Basic Medical Education.

As an author  and editor of a number of textbooks, her most recent text has been on assessment and feedback. She has a keen interest in making biomedical sciences accessible and relevant in medicine and health.