معرفی
Professor Jill Belch is a distinguished Clinical Professor of Vascular Medicine at the University of Dundee, with an Honorary Consultant position at Ninewells Hospital. She directs the Vascular Disease Research Unit and has made significant contributions to vascular medicine research and clinical practice for over three decades. Professor Belch is a founder Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and has received numerous prestigious awards including an OBE for services to medicine.
Professor Belch's educational background includes:
- Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Glasgow
- Research MD degree (Honours, winner of Belahouston Gold Medal) completed in 1987
Professor Belch's research focuses on the mechanistic link between inflammation and vascular behavior. Her work spans vascular and rheumatic diseases, anti-thrombotic agents, and the vascular effects of environmental factors like air pollution. She has established sophisticated assay systems to measure inflammatory and vascular biomarkers, coagulation, haemorrheology and fibrinolysis, with special interest in the inflammatory element of vascular disease and vascular endothelium. Her recent work has particularly emphasized the connection between air quality and vascular health, leading to public health recommendations regarding children's exposure to pollution.
Professor Belch has received numerous prestigious awards:
- Founder Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science
- Fellow of the Royal Society, Edinburgh
- ESVM Lifelong Achievement Award (2019)
- Honorary Fellow of the European Society of Vascular Medicine (2024)
- 1 of 4 finalists in the Herald Higher Education research awards for air pollution research (2024)
Professor Belch has secured substantial research funding throughout her career, with approximately £1.5 million per annum in grant funding since 1987. She currently leads 70 research projects, including major initiatives like 'Air Quality, Low Emission Zones & Hospital Admissions in Scotland' (2024-2028) and 'Neurodegeneration and Bone Health in SHHEC' (2023-2027). Her research group has consistently mentored students and researchers, with opportunities for further degrees provided to team members. She has also been instrumental in establishing the Scottish Heart Health Extended Cohort (SHHEC), which has been central to her recent air pollution research.
Professor Belch established the Vascular Disease Research Unit at the University of Dundee and more recently founded the Institute of Cardiovascular Research through the TICR public fundraising appeal, which raised approximately £6.5 million. This initiative achieved strategic placement for Cardiovascular research as one of the College's research themes, created 3 senior academic posts, and funded a state-of-the-art MRI scanner. Her vascular medicine service at Ninewells Hospital serves as a tertiary referral center for Systemic Sclerosis across the UK, providing specialized care for complex vascular conditions.
