Professor John Goodacre

Professor of Musculoskeletal Science

Personal Introduction

John is Co-Director of the Faculty's Collaborative Partnerships initiative, which supports strategic partnerships with the public and private sector in research and professional development. As part of this, he has led the establishment and development of the Lancashire & Cumbria Clinical Research Hub, which brings together the University and local NHS Trusts as a formal academic health partnership to enable the growth of locally-led clinical research, in parallel with increasing local infrastructure and capability.

He is a Professor of Musculoskeletal Science and Honorary Consultant in Rheumatology at the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and he leads the NIHR Cumbria & Lancashire Musculoskeletal Specialty Group.

He is also Clinical Director of the NIHR Cumbria & Lancashire Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN).

He undertakes a variety of advisory and leadership roles for the NIHR, as well as UK and EU research councils and medical research charities, and is Associate Editor of Cytokine.

John was one of the first graduates in Medicine from Nottingham University. After completing his clinical training and obtaining MD and PhD degrees at the University of Newcastle he established and led a successful biomedical research team to study molecular mechanisms and treatments for arthritis and other autoimmune conditions. He then moved to the University of Central Lancashire as Director of Clinical Research before taking up his current appointment at Lancaster University in 2008.

His specialist areas of knowledge and expertise lie within musculoskeletal science and biomedicine. However, he has extensive experience in strategic leadership and cross-sectoral collaboration in the context of clinical research, postgraduate education and professional development.

His major focus is on developing partnerships and networks involving the University, the NHS and Industry to support the continuing advancement of high quality clinical research, professional practice and innovation across Lancashire and Cumbria.