Research leadership
Professor Mike Kagioglou
Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Business Innovation
mike.kagioglou@dmu.ac.uk
Professor Mike Kagioglou joined De Montfort University in July 2023 as Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Business Innovation. Mike is responsible for leading the University’s strategy and delivery of all areas related to research, enterprise, business innovation, commercial, stakeholder and partnerships development.
Prior to joining DMU, Mike was the Pro Vice-Chancellor Global Development (Europe and UK) and Dean of Engineering, Design and Built Environment at Western Sydney University (WSU), Australia. During his time at WSU Mike oversaw the successful merger of two schools, the delivery of the Parramatta Engineering Innovation Hub at the geographical heartland of Sydney, the successful restructure of research with positive outcomes and impact and significant partnerships including with the Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Opera House. Mike has also developed and led WSU’s strategy in Europe and UK with the establishment of key partnerships with Universities and research/policy institutions, and led the academic development of Micro-Credentials for construction in collaboration with TAFE and industry – the first in Australia.
Professor David Proverbs
Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor, Enterprise and Business Innovation
david.proverbs@dmu.ac.uk
With over 30 years of experience in higher education, Professor David Proverbs has a distinguished track record in research and leadership.
Previously, he was Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton, where he led significant transformation projects and major knowledge exchange initiatives, including the National Brownfield Institute and the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills.
David's extensive research portfolio includes over £10m in regional, national, and international funding. He has pioneered the development of property flood resilience in the UK and his research has had significant national and international impact in the development of UK Climate Change and Flood Risk Management Policy; advising on global research grant awards; and supporting the international development of flood resilience, for example in Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Peru, Nigeria and the UK.
As an elected member of the Environment Agency's Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, responsible for divesting £1bn in flood defence projects over the next five years across the East and West Midlands, David is championing the development of new innovative approaches to improving flood resilience.
David has published extensively, with 140 refereed journal articles and numerous key textbooks. He is Chief Editor of the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation; and Associate Editor of International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management.
Professor Philip McTernan
Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research and Head of the Doctoral College
philip.mcternan@dmu.ac.uk
Professor Philip McTernan has served as Associate Dean for Research in the School of Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and held key roles at the University of Warwick (UoW) over the last two decades.
Philip has extensive experience in education leadership, having been the pre-clinical lead for the Postgraduate Programme for Medical Students and Widening Participation lead for UoW’s national gifted and talented youth programmes. He also took up the strategic role as Head of Postgraduate Research Degree Studies in Warwick Medical School and a subsequent co-current role as Deputy Academic Director of Graduate Studies for the university, enhancing postgraduate education across 30 departments.
At NTU, Philip was Head of Biosciences, where he achieved high student outcomes and strong research performance. As Associate Dean of Research, he supported the REF process, leading initiatives across several departments and research centers. He played a crucial role in NTU’s Covid-19 response and received multiple awards for his contributions.
Philip’s own research focuses on the molecular basis of human obesity and type 2 diabetes through to the use of human intervention trials to reduce weight-mediated metabolic and cardiovascular risk. His research has led to more than 100 original peer-reviewed publications (H-index: 59; Citations: 13,000+; GS), invited-review articles, guest speaking, and more than 35 PhD/MD student graduates completed through his research team, with recognition through national and European awards.
His work has been featured in media outlets such as Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped, BBC Two’s Horizon, and The Guardian. Philip continues to investigate chronic inflammation and the impact of diet on metabolic disease mitigation.
Professor David Rae
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
david.rae@dmu.ac.uk
David has been deeply involved in research, development and teaching on entrepreneurial learning, development and enterprise education for more than 20 years, gaining one of the first PhDs in Entrepreneurial Learning in 2003.
He works to connect research, enterprise, innovation and learning between universities, businesses and society. He is an innovator and researcher in entrepreneurial learning, leadership, and management who has held senior academic roles at six universities.
His work was recognised as the European Entrepreneurship Education Award Winner in 2020 for being the ‘boundary spanner between entrepreneurial learning and enterprise education’. David researches intercultural, minority and sustainable entrepreneurship, creative industries and Entrepreneurial Collective Intelligence.
Professor Siobhan Keenan
Associate Dean of Research for Art, Design and Humanities
SKeenan@dmu.ac.uk
Siobhan Keenan is Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities and a Professor in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature. Her latest publication is a monograph for Oxford University Press on The Progresses, Processions, and Royal Entries of King Charles I, 1625-1642 (2020), and her next project is a study of early Shakespearean actor, Richard Burbage.
She is an elected member of the Malone Society Council and a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Shakespeare (the journal of the British Shakespeare Association), published by Routledge.
Professor Keenan has supervised a number of PhD students who have gone on to successful careers in and beyond academia and she welcomes PhD applications on Shakespeare, Renaissance drama and early modern theatre history.
Professor Raffaella Villa
Associate Dean of Research for Computing, Engineering and Media
raffaella.villa@dmu.ac.uk
Raffaella Villa is Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media. Raffaella graduated from University of Milan, where she also did her PhD in applied biological catalysis. Raffaella worked at Exeter, Stirling University and Cranfield University before joining De Montfort in 2019.
Raffaella has researched on microbial bioengineering for the last 20 years. She has adapted her particular expertise in microbial and enzymatic processes to the environmental sector, and delivered teaching and research in waste, wastewater and resource management as part of the global sustainability agendas. Her current work includes: improvement of anaerobic digestion systems for renewable energy production, bioenergy from algae and sewers’ bioremediation. During her career Professor Villa has been successful in securing substantial funding from government agencies and industry; she has supervised more than 20 PhD students and has over 80 peer-reviews articles and book chapters. She is the Editor in Chief of Environmental Technology Reviews and member of the Editorial Board of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Water Management.
Raffaella is also active in outreach activities to promote women participation in STEM subjects such as Soapbox Science, New Scientist Live and radio/TV programmes.
Professor Anwar Baydoun
Associate Dean of Research for Health and Life Sciences
anwar.baydoun@dmu.ac.uk
Professor Anwar Baydoun is a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society and currently the Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at De Montfort University.
He has served on the International Steering Committee for the Pan-Asian International Conference on Science and Technology 2015 and on the International Steering Committee for the International Heart Forum (2005-2010). He was on the Editorial Board of the British Pharmacological Society (2002-2006) and is on peer review panels for several international journals.
Professor Baydoun is a Cardiovascular Pharmacologist and an accomplished researcher in the field of cell signalling, applying his work to understanding physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that may generate novel targets for drug development. He is most widely known for his work on nitric oxide and cationic amino acid transporters but also researches into the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes as well as those that regulate the process of vascular calcification in kidney and/or cardiovascular disease states. He collaborates extensively with clinicians and with pharmaceutical industries in developing in vitro models for drug screening and of disease states.