Dr Steve Harris appointed as Chief Research Information Officer

UCLH is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Steve Harris as Chief Research Information Officer (CRIO).

The CRIO is a key leadership role, responsible for delivering UCLH and its Biomedical Research Centre’s vision for use of data in research and innovation – in partnership with UCL and alongside the newly created Digital Innovation Hub at UCLH.

Dr Harris, a Consultant in Critical Care at UCLH, spearheaded the development of EMAP (the Experimental Medicine Application Platform) at UCLH, a platform which enables research using data from electronic health records in real-time. Dr Harris, a former recipient of a prestigious Improvement Science Fellowship from the Health Foundation, also led the creation of FlowEHR, an open-source platform designed for the safe integration of artificial intelligence algorithms in healthcare.

As CRIO, Dr Harris will join the BRC’s Clinical and Research Informatics Unit (CRIU) to foster collaborations between clinical and data teams at UCLH, UCL, and beyond. The CRIU guides and supports data access for patient care and research.

Dr Harris said: “The real potential for utilising data beneficially at UCLH lies with our clinical and operational staff, as well as the academic teams at UCL. I want to nurture collaborations between these two pioneering organisations for better and safer care.

“Data truly comes to life when it is applied to real world problems in the hospital. We want to identify and support staff who understand what data can tell us about patients, staff and the hospital, and how it can help us improve care and hospital operations."

“At a time when the concern for privacy is of utmost importance, there is also a growing appetite to see NHS organisations like ours harness data and artificial intelligence for the public good, we put special emphasis on bringing researchers into our healthcare environment. This holistic method maximises data utility and positively impacts patient care.”

UCLH Director of Research Prof Bryan Williams said: “The appointment of Dr Harris is excellent news for UCLH, UCL and the BRC. In recent years, Steve has been instrumental in our work in digital research and innovation. He is well-placed to take on the role of CRIO and to drive forward collaborations at UCLH and UCL, and with partners in industry, to harness the potential of data-based research – which will ultimately lead to life-changing improvements in care for our patients.”