Dr Sharon Gordon

Biography

I have two roles at the university:  Biostatistics & Health Data Science Programme Co-ordinator and Institute Administration Manager.

Biostatistics & Health Data Science (BHDS) is a new academic group within the Institute of Applied Health Sciences bringing together the Medical Statistics Team and the Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (ACHDS).

As Programme Co-ordinator and part of the management teams I helped establish ACHDS in 2018 and BHDS in 2024.

My role is to keep us connected as a team and help make connections within the university and to build external partnerships with other universities, the NHS, government, third sector organisations, industry and with the public in our local communities. I work with the BHDS Director and Exec team to develop and deliver the group strategy. I provide support for the BHDS team to identify opportunities, submit grant applications and get successful projects up and running with contracts, staffing, financial monitoring, public involvement, and dissemination of the research we do.

Public involvement has been an important part of my work since 2010. I am patient and public involvement & engagement (PPIE) lead for the Networked Data Lab, with Dr Magda Rzewuska-Diaz (2020-23) and now with Dr Raul Berrocal-Martin (2023-26), which established a dedicated PPIE Group for our team. In 2023, Magda and I were awarded the Principal’s Award for Excellence in Public Engagement.

In Jan 2025, I took on the role of Institute Administration Manager for the Institute of Applied Health Sciences two days per week with my colleague Anne Buckle. I line manage the IAHS Administration Team and Anne and I support the IAHS Director and staff across the Institute to manage research, teaching, staffing and resources, and PPIE.

I first came to the University as an undergraduate in 1988 gaining a BSc Biochemistry (Immunology), completed my PhD on the role of nitric oxide in uveoretinitis, and have worked at the University in various roles since.

Prizes and Awards

Principal’s Award for Excellence in Public Engagement (Main Prize) 2023 with Dr Magda Rzewuska-Diaz for our public involvement work with the ACHDS public involvement group for the Networked Data Lab research programme.

Research Overview

I am the Programme Co-ordinator within Biostatistics & Health Data Science (BHDS) supporting research collaborations to improve people’s lives. 

Current Research

INSPERation: Advancing Research Management Capacity for Health Data Science Excellence (2025-2027).

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement lead for the Network Data Lab (2020-2026).

Past Research

Data at the heart of improving health and care: The Brazil/UK data sharing network, Academy of Medical Sciences, 2018 - 2020

CHIMES Research Programme, CSO, 2006-2013

Teaching Responsibilities

I led the Identifiable Data and Data Governance in Research unit in the Health Informatics Course (PU5532) 2018-2021.