Professor Kennard knows the Division well, having served, until his retirement late last year, as the Head of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, one of the 16 departments within the Division. Prior to his arrival in Oxford, Professor Kennard was the Deputy Principal for the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College, London.
Professor Kennard commented: 'It is a great honour to have been invited by the VC to take on the role of interim Head of the Medical Sciences Division, following Alastair Buchan’s move to become the Head of Brexit Strategy for the University. During his nine year tenure he successfully led the Division to its premier international position and made major contributions in many areas. I very much look forward to being able to contribute to the Division’s continuing success and to work with such an exceptionally talented group of teachers and researchers.'
Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor, said: 'I am deeply grateful to Professor Christopher Kennard for agreeing to assume the role of Head of Division on an interim basis until a new Head of Division is appointed. The Division sought Council’s approval for the process of selecting a new Head of Division, and we expect to have a new head in place before Professor Alastair Buchan’s term would ordinarily have concluded.'