Medical expert joins LJMU executive leadership
Professor Paul Townsend is to join Liverpool John Moores University in January 2026 as the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Health, Innovation, Technology and Science.
Paul has been Deputy Principal (Research and Innovation) at the University of Stirling since November 2024 and has also held posts at Surrey, Manchester and Southampton.
He brings extensive expertise in biomedical and health sciences, coupled with interdisciplinary innovation and a proven track record of transformative leadership in higher education.
Professor Mark Power, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, says: “Paul comes to LJMU with an exceptional track record. His experience in specific disciplines and broader sector knowledge will, I’m sure, leverage greater opportunity for our staff and students. I look forward to welcoming him to the Executive Leadership Team.”
Paul says: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining such a progressive university. The Faculty is a fascinating combination of STEM and Health with leading disciplines within the Schools and Institutes. I have already had the pleasure of meeting the leadership team in the Faculty and I’m really looking forward to working with my new colleagues and our students.”
After earning his PhD at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now CRUK) in 1997, Paul has consistently bridged the gap between industry and academia, pushing the frontiers of scientific discovery. His research in cell stress and survival mechanisms, along with his work on developing network solutions for early disease detection, exemplifies his innovative approach.
After roles at the University of Southampton and the University of Manchester. he served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean at the University of Surrey where he established the Surrey School of Medicine, founded the Surrey Academic Health and Care Partnership, and co-led both the Wolfson Bioanalytics Centre of Excellence and Surrey Centre of Excellence in Ageing. Under his leadership, the Faculty secured Athena Swan Gold and Silver awards and excellent REF and NSS results.
Paul has co-founded several companies and secured multi-million-pound grants from major funding bodies. His expertise encompasses drug discovery, AI applications and advanced mass spectrometry, leading to significant breakthroughs in biomarker identification.
