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Professor Sir Simon Wessely's CV

Daisymay

Senior Member
Messages
754
Page 5

"EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH:

I have published over 700 papers (H index 70) and obtained over £25,000,000 in grants.

My principal areas of interest have been:

  • The nature and treatment of unexplained symptoms/syndromes
  • Clinical epidemiology
  • Military health. "


Page 5
"My achievements include

  • I founded the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Research Unit at King’s College Hospital in 1994 which became the South London and Maudsley (SLAM) CFS Clinical Service in 1999
  • In 2003 I started the first UK Clinical Trials Unit specializing in mental health at SLAM/Institute of Psychiatry (IOP)."


Page 6
"Over my career my research has had numerous translational impacts, for example:

ü My work has significantly influenced the management of chronic fatigue syndrome, reflected in the 2007 NICE Guidelines and has directly influenced the setting up of a clinical specialist network of services across England and the devolved administrations."


Page 7
"Engagement with clinical teaching
I have been active in developing teaching and training materials relevant to the management of unexplained symptoms/CFS for many years. Myself and colleagues have developed a series of training manuals for the management of various unexplained symptoms/syndromes, most of which have been published and are available electronically. We have also demonstrated their effectiveness in various RCTs (see www.kcl.ac.uk/cfs). I frequently give workshops on the management of CFS and associated syndromes in numerous venues in UK and internationally, such as the BMJ Master classes around the UK. "


Page 10
"EXPERIENCE IN DELIVERING CLINICAL SERVICES:

I am a consultation-liaison psychiatrist with an Honorary Contract to King’s College Hospital.

My principal clinical role in SLAM is with the CFS service, where I am Consultant Psychiatrist. The service that I established in 1999 was the first NHS only service for CFS patients in the UK and has led to a National model - the Service Investment Programme- launched in 2004, covering 65% of service provision in England and Wales. I was instrumental in developing and then showing in a series of RCTs a new treatment for CFS, now acknowledged as the first line of treatment for CFS in the 2007 Nice Guidelines. We have shown that the results of our routine clinical management now approach those obtained in our RCTs. Since 2001 we see approximately 250 new patients annually, and during the same time period have received 3 complaints. "


Page 12

"EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH UK GOVERNMENT
I am or have been a member of the following committees

2008- Mental Health and Employment High Level Steering Group (Chair Dame Carol Black).

2013 Behavioural Science Expert Group , Cabinet Office, restricted

2013 - Member, Health Honours Committee (Cabinet Office)

I also advise the War Pensions Agency, Department of Health, Department of Work and Pensions, Ministry of Defence, Home Office and Cabinet Office on an ad hoc basis on matters relating to health of the Armed Forces, public resilience, risk communication, psychological responses to terrorism and other issues.

I am familiar with giving scientific advice to government, working closely with relevant ministers, most particular those concerned with military personnel and veterans. I regularly brief parliamentary committees for the Commons and Lords, including Defence, Health and Science. I have twice given evidence at full three hour session of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee (HCDC) hearings into the Military Covenant and also Military Casualties. "


Page 12-13
"EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE

Throughout my career I have been active in public engagement activities to improve public understanding, and hence support for, medicine, psychiatry and research. I wrote over 50 columns for the Times on science/medicine, have continued to contribute columns and pieces to the various media outlets. I am a founder member of the Science and Media Centre, which brings together scientists and journalists, and a Trustee of Sense About Science."