Introducing the new UKINETS chair: Prof Mark Pritchard

 

I am honoured to have been elected to the position of UKINETS Chair and would like to start by thanking Prof John Newell-Price for all his hard work as Chair over the last threeyears. He will certainly be a hard act to follow! For those of you who don’t already know me, I am a Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Liverpool and an honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist and clinical lead of the ENETS Centre of Excellence at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I graduated from the University of Manchester in 1991 and completed most of my early postgraduate training and PhD in that city, before moving to the University of Liverpool, initially as a Clinical Lecturer, in 2000. I have remained in Liverpool ever since and have held a number of leadership positions at the University, most recently Head of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology.

I have been involved in managing NET patients for over fifteen years and am actively involved in NET research, having particular interests in the hormone gastrin and the management of gastric and duodenal NETs. I have been a member of UKINETS since 2008, have previously been a member of the Research committee and have also presented at the NETs for Newcomers course as a member of the Education and Training Committee. I am also a strong supporter of Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, having delivered presentations to patients on their behalf both nationally andlocally.

Over the next three years as UKINETS chair, I have tripartite ambitions to support and develop clinical care, education andresearch about NETs. I will try to support individual local NET multidisciplinary teams to deliver high quality care for their patients and will also continue to collaborate withcolleagues at Neuroendocrine Cancer UK to support theiradvocacy initiatives for NET patients. I would be happy to visit some of the NET teams throughout the UK if anyone would like to invite me (COVID-19 permitting)! I believe that the education of doctors and nurses who are not regularlyinvolved in managing NET patients is crucial for improving the initial diagnosis of NETs, so I intend to explore ways to expand the delivery of such education. I am also a strongadvocate that participation in research and clinical trials will improve the quality of treatment that we offer to NET patients, so I will strive to increase the funding for NET-related research in the UK and the number local multidisciplinary teams who are involved in clinical researchprojects.

I will try to post about NET related issues from time to time on my Twitter account (@gastrolivuni), so please follow me there if you can. If the COVID-19 situation permits, I also hope to exploit my hobbies of (rather slow) running and cycling to participate in some sponsored events forNeuroendocrine Cancer UK during my tenure. So please look out for the embarrassing photos and pleas for sponsorship support in due course!