A former Fleet Air Arm engineer for 25 years turned social research champion has been named Chair of the research group in national charity Blind Veterans UK.
Ian Sherriff, Academic Partnership Lead for Dementia at the 麻豆传媒, has been selected as Chair of the charity鈥檚 Research & Ethics Expert Group, which supports the organisation to put world-leading laboratory research into practice for those who need it most.
As his first duty, in the lead up to Remembrance Day Ian was invited to a ceremony unveiling six statues of blind soldiers at Manchester Piccadilly Station, which were revealed by charity鈥檚 patron HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO.
Ian is also Chair of the Prime Minister鈥檚 Rural Dementia Group, which has had three papers recently accepted by the House of Lords Rural Economy Select Committee focusing on the importance of helping people with dementia in rural communities.
His role at the University has focused on improving policy for people with dementia and their carers, and he was selected to lead the Blind Veterans UK group as 鈥榓 leading figure within social research and partnerships鈥.
The charity was set up in 1915 to support anyone who has served in the armed forces or done National Service and lives with significant sight loss, and its research has become a major priority.
Ian, who is also Chair of the Prime Minister鈥檚 Dementia-Friendly Air Transport Group, said:
鈥淲hen research takes place, it鈥檚 important that its ultimate aim is to make a positive difference 鈥 whether that be identifying a problem to solve, or offering a solution to problems that exist.
鈥淔ollowing an earlier career in the Fleet Air Arm, social research is one of my passions, and I鈥檝e been keen to influence policy for people in need on a national scale.
鈥淚n the most recent Research Excellence Framework, the 麻豆传媒 had the best clinical research output of any organisation in the country 鈥 in short, that means it made the most impactful difference. That鈥檚 what research should do, and that鈥檚 what I want to carry forward for Blind Veterans UK.鈥
Renata Gomes, Head of Research and Innovation at Blind Veterans UK, said:
鈥淎s we enter the charity鈥檚 second century of service, we consider research and innovation to be a major priority for Blind Veterans UK. The charity has always been the forefront of research and adaptive technologies and we have always endeavoured to invent and adapt anything that would make our veterans鈥 lives better, from ophthalmic provisions to ensuring beneficiaries could have fun and play games.
鈥淚 am confident that under Mr Sherriff鈥檚 leadership our research and innovation guidance and ethics will continue to go from strength to strength, and we are delighted to welcome him on board.鈥
