Meet the Team

Dr Phil Jewell

Director of Healthtech and SIGHT Programme CEO

Phil has a wealth of experience supporting collaboration between business and academia. For over 10 years Phil managed a number of University funding schemes at the University of Southampton, including the EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership, Knowledge Transfer Secondments programme, and the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships scheme. Prior to this he undertook a part-time PhD in ancient history. For a number of years Phil has also been running his own bid writing and collaboration support company. Phil takes the lead in business engagement for the SIGHT programme, liaising with potential SIGHT members, growing the network and providing them with guidance at the start of their business and clinical approval path.

Helen Hill

SIGHT Programme Manager

Helen joined the team in May 2022, bringing more than 12 years of experience at the University of Portsmouth in a variety of roles in the areas of European-funded programmes (including external audits); Study Abroad/International student exchange partnerships; information disclosure and governance; and collaborative cross-sector projects. Helen works closely with SIGHT members and with colleagues from the Portsmouth Technology Trials Unit (PTTU) and the University’s Research and Innovation Services to facilitate meetings, events, and to support the delivery of SIGHT grants to SME members.

Claire Anstey

SIGHT Programme Administrator

Claire joined the team in January 2021. With extensive experience in administration in a variety of businesses, Claire brings invaluable organisational and project management skills to the team.

Prof. Gordon Blunn

Principal Investigator of SIGHT Programme

Gordon is the Director in Health and Wellbeing at the University of Portsmouth and the Principal Investigator of the SIGHT Programme. He has a PhD from Leeds University and spent over 25 years at UCL working as a Biomedical Engineer. During his time at UCL, he worked at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital where he developed and translated a number of orthopaedic implants into clinical practice. Gordon is a past President of the British Orthopaedic Research Society. He has been awarded the UCL award for enterprise and innovation, an NHS innovation award and the UCL consultants’ award. He sits on a number of scientific advisory boards and has been involved in the generation of three spin-out companies. He holds several patents, and has published over 280 peer reviewed scientific papers and a number of book chapters. His current research investigates the bone regeneration, the integration of implants with the skeleton, the wear of implant bearing materials and the use of bone graft substitute materials.

Yvette Hibberd

University Research Facilitator

Yvette joined Portsmouth University Hospitals NHS Trust in December 2021 and has a wealth of experience working in Health Research in both the NHS and Higher Education. Prior to moving to Portsmouth, she worked in Bath and London as a Trial Manager for international, multi-disciplinary studies in chronic pain, adolescent rheumatology and oncology. She has also worked in Research Governance and Public Patient Involvement roles at UCL. Yvette’s main task is to increase collaborative health research between the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Olga Llewellyn

Department Manager in Research and Innovation Services

With a background in managing operations and qualifications in marketing and communication, Olga sets strategic direction when it comes to marketing of the programme, including procurement of the website, commissioning and writing of the website and blog content, advising on social media campaigns and communication with internal and external stakeholders.

Working in central services at the University, Olga has also taken on an active role in procurement processes, and has worked closely with Innovation Connect and other university departments to deliver value for the SIGHT members.

Dr. David Lubega

Collaborations Manager

David took up the Collaborations Manager role at the University of Portsmouth in 2015, developing and managing collaborations between the university and businesses, and the public and voluntary sectors. David graduated from Tongji Medical University, received an MBA from the University of Hull, and holds a Diploma from the Beijing Languages and Cultural University. Prior to joining the University of Portsmouth, David ran a medical devices and supply company. He has also held senior level operational and advisory roles in marketing, business development, and knowledge management and exchange at multinational pharmaceutical companies and at a medtech consultancy firm. David supports SIGHT programme member companies to navigate the funding landscape. Where appropriate, he enables access to academic expertise and specialist research and development competencies and facilities.

Rosie Mackay

Research Development Officer, Health and Wellbeing

Rosie joined the University of Portsmouth in January 2022 after working as a research scientist and lecturer at the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton for over 20 years. Working across the university to enhance interdisciplinary, collaborative research within the Health and wellbeing theme. Supporting joint research initiatives across all faculties as well as our external partners in the city council, the NHS and industry. Supporting bid development and funding applications.

Louise Pulley

Accounting Technician (Innovation)

Louise has worked at the University of Portsmouth for around 18 years in various financial roles throughout the organisation. She now manages all of the University’s EU-funded innovation projects, and has built up a wealth of knowledge in relation to the audit and compliance requirements set by EU funders, as well as the university’s own policies and procedures. Lou is on hand to monitor the SIGHT project’s finances and to provide advice and assistance with all processes and queries.

Prof Anoop Chauhan

Executive Director of Research and Innovation and Senior Respiratory Consultant

Anoop is the Director of Research and Innovation at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and a Physician in Respiratory and General medicine. As Clinical Director for SIGHT and the Portsmouth Technology Trials Unit, he has helped multiple SMEs secure funding, develop high quality research studies and technology trials in support of their innovations within the NHS. He wrote the national call for the Small Business Research Initiative funding awards and was on the selection panel for SMEs. He is an Executive and Commercial Lead for Wessex CRN and the Respiratory Programme Lead for the Wessex AHSN. An experienced Chief Investigator and Senior Examiner for the BMA HC Roscoe Fellowship, he is also co-founder of Respiaction – a social enterprise to improve outcomes in respiratory patients through research and education.

Sharon Court

Patient and Public Involvement Facilitator

Sharon is a qualified teacher and youth worker with over thirty years’ experience of working with children and young people. She worked for ten years as a freelancer, developing and managing community engagement programmes including projects funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Armed Forces Community Covenant. Prior to joining the PTTU, Sharon worked with a number of local organisations including Portsmouth Cathedral where she devised and led their community engagement programme. This four year partnership included work funded by Awards for All and Arts Council England. Sharon brings a wealth of community experience and networks to her role as the Patient and Public Involvement Facilitator, where she now works supporting a successful PPI group, launching a new young people’s PPI group and creating new opportunities to engage the public with healthcare research.

Lucy Sayer

Strategic Partnership Facilitator

Lucy supports the collaboration between the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth University Hospitals NHS Trust, liaising with SIGHT member companies to enhance connections with clinicians for the development of patient studies through the Portsmouth Technology Trials Unit. She took up the role of Partnership Manager in April 2022 with a view to increasing interdisciplinary collaborative research between the university and hospital in the area of health and wellbeing. As an experienced Science, Technical and Medical (STM) publisher, Lucy has managed a portfolio of academic society journals and commissioned profitable lists of books and journals in a variety of medical areas and adds her commercial and academic experience to the SIGHT team.

Simon Toh

Senior UGI & General Consultant Surgeon at Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust

Simon Toh is a senior UGI & General Consultant Surgeon at Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust since 2000. He has specialist expertise in keyhole and robotic surgery for oesophago-gastric disease, gallstones, hernias and emergency abdominal conditions. He founded the Victory Institute for Minimal Access & Robotic Surgery in 2010 to deliver specialist surgical training to Wessex and international trainees.

His diverse research interests include using data science and AI to predict surgical risk and outcomes, endoscopic imaging, surgical instrument design, human factors in surgery, & novel hernia meshes and techniques. His role in the SIGHT POB is to provide clinical context in assessing Medtech SMEs and he supports several in R&D and grant applications. He has personal experience of a start-up himself, creating a social enterprise to develop an App for patients to improve compliance to DVT prophylaxis. This has gone on to win several awards, notably the 2021 Health Champion & South Coast Champion of the Ingenuity Impact Awards and Best Work in Prevention of Hospital Acquired Thombosis (UK Anticoagulation Achievement Awards 2017).

Robert Woolas

Consultant Clinical Advisor and Consultant Gynaecologist

Robert joined Portsmouth Hospitals in 1996 to successfully establish and develop a gynaecological oncology service. Having previously trained in general surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology and written an MD thesis he actively embraced the importance of integrating educational processes and research and development principles into clinical practice from the start of his career. Whilst departmental lead he obtained and administered a £1 million research grant and was principle investigator on a number of other NIHR studies and local initiatives. He has written or co-authored over 50 original articles and published 5 book chapters. Having recently reduced his local clinical commitment, he remains an honorary member of staff at UCL Institute for Women’s Health and the MRC Clinical Trials Unit in Holborn and is also an associate employee of the General Medical Council with a keen interest in retaining high standards of professional performance, ethical behaviour and educational attainment.