GIN are delighted to announce that Dr Roberta James has been appointed as the new Chair of the GIN Board of Trustees. Roberta has been a member of the Board of Trustees since September 2020.
As the Programme Lead at the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) she is responsible for the currency, quality, validity and timely development and dissemination of national clinical guidelines for the NHS in Scotland. She has over 20 years of experience producing evidence-based guidelines, developing new methods and improving processes. One of Roberta’s main interests is in presenting recommendations in ways that fit the needs of professional and public audiences so that high-quality evidence-based recommendations are easily accessible and make an impact on patient care.
Roberta is a member of the GIN Updating Guidelines Working Group, and has an interest in developing methods for keeping guidelines current while making the best use of scarce resources. She is also a member of the Implementation Working Group, which aims to advance the science of guideline implementation by generating knowledge and associated outputs on planning, undertaking, enabling and evaluating guideline implementation.
Along with colleagues at Healthcare Improvement Scotland and other GIN members, Roberta is part of the Cost Conscious Care Consortium. The consortium developed and has delivered an educational programme to several cohorts of medical residents across Europe. The objectives are two-fold: to teach residents the basics of developing and implementing high-quality, evidence-based guidelines, and to equip residents with the competencies to work in a cost-conscious manner.
Roberta started her career as a research scientist after undergraduate and postgraduate study at Edinburgh University and prior to joining SIGN spent 10 years as a research scientist at the Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, the Roslin Institute and the Cancer Research UK labs at the University of Edinburgh.
Speaking of her appointment, Roberta said:
“I am honoured to have been elected Chair of the GIN Board of Trustees and look forward to working with such an amazing group of committed colleagues around the Board and in the GIN Office. The members are what make GIN and I hope to meet many of you over the next two years to hear about your big ideas for GIN.”
Interim Executive Officer of GIN, Daniela Carl, said:
“We are thrilled to welcome Roberta James as the new Chair of the Guidelines International Network. Roberta brings a wealth of experience and a long-standing dedication to GIN’s mission and community. Her insight, leadership, and passion for evidence-based guidelines will be invaluable as we continue to grow, strengthen our impact and support our community around the world.
On a personal note, I’m truly looking forward to working with Roberta as we begin this exciting next chapter for GIN.”