Professor Evans will head the programme of personal and professional development for future research leaders of Wales.
Professor Evans (Professor of Social Science and Health at the newly formed School of Social and Spatial Sciences, Cardiff University) is Deputy Director of both DECIPHer and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Systematic Reviews Team. She also has leadership roles in the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm Research and the Rhondda Cynon Taf Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). Her research has a strong focus on developing interventions to prevent the health inequities often experienced by underserved communities.
Reflecting on her appointment, Rhiannon said: “It is an absolute privilege to become Academic Lead of the Welsh Crucible. At a time when universities are under increasing pressure, it is more important than ever that programmes such as this exist. They play a vital role in nurturing talent, fostering collaboration and creating opportunities for researchers to build supportive networks across disciplines and institutions. I am looking forward to working with the Welsh Crucible team, alumni and future participants to ensure the programme continues to thrive and inspire the next generation of research leaders.”
Rhiannon succeeds Professor Jon Gillard, a Welsh Crucible alumnus, who is Head of the new School of Computational and Mathematical Sciences. Since 2011, Welsh Crucible has supported emerging research leaders across Wales, bringing together 30 researchers each year to develop leadership skills, build networks and encourage innovative, cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Read more information about the programme and how to apply here: https://welshcrucible.org.uk/.
Read DECIPHer Research Fellow Dr Hayley Reed’s blog on being part of the 2024 cohort: https://decipher.uk.net/blog/dr-hayley-reed-welsh-crucible-and-me/.
This article was written by Cardiff University.
