Summary
Josh is an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Plastic Surgery, working under the supervision of Professor Ian Chetter (Professor of Surgery) and Professor Mat Hardman (Chair in Wound Healing), conducting research into surgical wound infections, wound healing, hand surgery and skin cancer. He is also a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery trainee, working in the Yorkshire region.
After completing his undergraduate medical degree at the Hull York Medical School, he underwent foundation training in West Yorkshire. He then went on to complete a two-year research fellowship under the supervision of Professor Chetter, culminating in the award of MD by Research Thesis. He was also successful in completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Professionals Education, and meeting the requirements for admission to Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
His doctoral research centred around prevention of surgical site infection in primarily closed wounds, through the use of active wound dressings. As part of this, he designed and implemented a pilot randomised controlled trial. The findings from this work have been presented on an international stage, and published in peer-reviewed journals. As a result of this work, he was invited as an expert panelist to contribute to new NICE guidance on the topic.
Following his research fellowship, he completed core surgical training, again in Yorkshire. This led to him successfully obtaining a national training number in Plastic Surgery in 2020. He was appointed a Clinical Lecturer in Plastic Surgery in February 2021.
Since appointment, he has continued to conduct research in surgical wound infection and wound healing. He has been successful in securing grants as Principle Investigator from the Academy of Medical Sciences and from the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, as well as grants as co-investigator from the Healthcare Infection Society and the National Institute for Health Research.
As well as surgical site infection and wound healing, other areas of research interest include skin cancer and the surgical management of skin cancers, hand surgery and soft tissue infection. He sits on the executive committee of the Reconstructive Surgery Trials Network as vice-lead, and collaborates closely with departments both within the University and externally.