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Gareth Lavery

Gareth Lavery

Professor and Head of Department

School of Science & Technology

Professor of Molecular Metabolism

Head of the Department of Biosciences

Director of the Centre for Healthy Ageing and Understanding Disease

Role

Gareth is Head of Biosciences, and in conjunction with Beverly Peel as the Deputy Head works to to develop and maintain strategic and operational continuity and progress of the Department.

Career overview

Gareth received his BSc in Genetics from the University of Wales in 1998, and received a PhD in Medicine from the University of Birmingham in 2003. He then accepted a postdoctoral position in the department of Endocrinology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, USA, establishing models to investigate redox regulated glucocorticoid hormone metabolism. In 2009 he was awarded a BBSRC David Phillips fellowship to further his work on understanding how redox regulated glucocorticoid action impacts metabolic energy homeostasis at the University of Birmingham. In 2014 he became a Welcome Trust Senior Research Fellow and established The Molecular Metabolism Research Group. The MMRG seeks to understand mechanisms by which hormones, nutrients and exercise interact and affect adaptive physiology in health and disease. By developing capacity for cell and animal bioenergetic analysis, coupled to expertise in experimental medicine and clinical trials we decode metabolic signals and processes to support our mission to deliver research impact for combating age-related metabolic decline,

Gareth also co-led a major initiative to establish the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham from 2015, and embedded early career scientist development at the heart of its mission. He was also Institute lead for Graduate Research and Studies (2011-2018), establishing improved mentoring provision and annual review processes, being committed to ensuring that graduates have excellent science foundations.  Gareth works extensively with the Society for Endocrinology and currently sits on Council, specifically supporting and developing opportunities for junior members looking to establish their careers in Endocrinology and Metabolism. In recognition of his research and contributions he received the 2016 Starling Medal.