Robert Gordon University (RGU) has appointed a senior member of NHS Grampian as a visiting reader to two of its schools.
Chris Littlejohn, interim deputy director of Public Health and Head of Health Improvement with NHS Grampian, will act as a visiting reader at the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Health Sciences.
Chris developed his interest in public health during his initial career in nursing. He was appointed as a consultant in Public Health with NHS Grampian in 2013, following the completion of a Postgraduate Public Health training programme.
In his current position as interim deputy director of Public Health and Head of Health Improvement, he has been keen to highlight the importance of public health thinking for the undergraduate training of nurses, midwives and allied health professions, as well as its importance to postgraduate programmes.
Speaking on his new appointment at RGU, Chris said: “I am honoured to have been appointed to this position, which further adds to the warm sense of welcome I have received from academic colleagues across the university.
“I have already found many areas of common interest in work with the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Health Sciences, and I look forward to exploring further opportunities for joint research, teaching and preparation for practice between our two organisations.”
In addition to this new role with RGU, Chris is an honorary senior clinical lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, where he teaches Public Health to medical undergraduates and to postgraduates studying towards a Masters in Public Health.
Professor Ian Murray, head of the school of Nursing and Midwifery, said: “We are pleased to welcome Chris to RGU and look forward to a long and successful working relationship. His experience and passion for public health will undoubtedly prove to be a benefit for all of our student nurses and midwives.
“The university has a long history of working closely with our NHS partners to ensure our students receive the very best education and industry-ready training, in addition to collaborating on projects that address the health needs of the local community in Grampian and further afield.
“Chris’ NHS role is central to the development of public health strategy across Grampian and nationally and staff from both the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery and Health Sciences look forward to working closely with Chris and his colleagues to further this agenda.”