Dr Gordon Prescott

In his role as Deputy Director at Lancashire Clinical Trials Unit, Gordon leads the Health Statistics Team. He is responsible for the statistical aspects of the design and implementation of both clinical trials and well-designed observational studies. He has further expertise in prognostic modelling and diagnostic testing applied to chronic conditions. Gordon is active in research within the Lancashire Clinical Trials Unit, the Health Research Methodology Hub (HeRMI), and the Lancashire Research Institute for Global Health and Wellbeing (LIFE). He provides specialist input to postgraduate and undergraduate courses on medical statistics and clinical trials. Gordon is a member of the NIHR Statistics Group Career Development Committee. This group runs events and provides resources for applied statisticians throughout their careers.

Gordon joined the Lancashire Clinical Trials Unit at The University of Central Lancashire in 2018. His statistical interests are in clinical trials methodology and in prognostic modelling and diagnostic testing. His work in clinical trials is principally in stroke care and musculoskeletal conditions. He has extensive experience in modelling chronic conditions such as renal disease and diabetic retinopathy. He was part of the team that developed and refined the algorithm used to screen for diabetic retinopathy across Scotland. Gordon has worked extensively with the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank on studies of cardiovascular disease in relation to obstetric events, complications of preeclampsia, and modes of delivery. Gordon has also conducted research into medical education and training, widening access to medical schools, and medical career progression. He has previously worked as a Medical Statistician at the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh and at the Institute of Occupational Medicine. His earliest research was into air pollution and cardiorespiratory health. In his previous post, Gordon led a postgraduate course on medical statistics years taken by MSc students of allied health professions. Leading this course for more than 10 years gave him the opportunity to revise and enhance the materials and evaluate engagement of students across many disciplines. This work provided the experience and evidence needed to become a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. At UCLan he mentors staff applying for this award.