It is with great pleasure that we announce that Professor Darren Ashcroft, director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC), has been awarded the prestigious title of NIHR Senior Investigator.

Professor Ashcroft is a leading patient safety expert and has made a significant contribution to the field of medication and patient safety research. He will now be at the forefront of the NIHR Academy for the next four years, contributing significantly as a senior leader and ambassador for the institution.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been awarded the prestigious title of NIHR Senior Investigator. Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to improving patient safety in health and social care settings. This award is not just for me, but also for my wonderful team that have supported the growth of our programme of research, and for the people who have guided and taken part in our research, making sure it is relevant and impactful. Receiving this award strengthens my passion to continue pushing the boundaries of the NIHR’s mission to improve the future health of our nation, particularly for those in greatest need.”

NIHR Senior Investigators are among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR and the most outstanding leaders of people-based research within the NIHR research community. They are pivotal figures within the NIHR, contributing significantly as senior leaders and ambassadors for the institution. They lead in the training and development of NIHR’s people, while also demonstrating research excellence and integrating public involvement in research. Moreover, they play a crucial role in driving growth, guiding research capacity development and enhancing career paths for researchers, participating in mentoring programmes and supporting leadership initiatives. Collectively, Senior Investigators constitute the NIHR College of Senior Investigators, and are members of the NIHR Academy. 

Click here to read NIHR’s announcement of the NIHR Senior Investigators.

About Professor Darren Ashcroft

Darren Ashcroft is Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology at the University of Manchester, and an Honorary Professor at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. As the GM PSRC’s Director, he leads the integration of an extensive programme of innovative research to improve patient safety across partner NHS Trusts, primary care networks, and the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham and Leicester. As well as his academic and clinical work, Darren is involved in a range of activities for the NIHR, National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the UK National Health Service more widely. He sits on the Board of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) providing strategic leadership for research and capacity building to increase the evidence base for effective primary care practice. For over 25 years, Darren has been a member of numerous local, regional, and national committees focused on medication safety within the NHS. He regularly provides expert advice to the Department of Health and Social Care, including actions to improve medication safety following the third World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Challenge “Medication Without Harm”, and to reduce overprescribing in the NHS.

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