Visiting Professors at the School of Medicine

Professor Tony Gallagher

Professor Dermot Hughes

Dermot qualified in Medicine in 1982 (QUB) with the McGrath Clinical Scholarship for surgery. He undertook training in diagnostic histopathology in Northern Ireland and in the USA, at George Washington University Hospital DC and The National Cancer Institute Bethesda, Maryland. He was appointed Consultant Pathologist to the Western Health and Social Care Board in 1989. He has been Clinical Director of Laboratory Services, Undergraduate Lead for Pathology Education, Clinical Lead for Cancer Services in the Western Trust, Medical Director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Network and Medical Director of the Western HSC Trust. He retired in in 2019 but still works in Clinical Governance and Professional Governance. His Key achievements were expansion of Undergraduate Medical Education at the WHSCT to facilitate 3^rd, 4^th and Final Year students on site. His work in Cancer Care saw development of comprehensive cancer services in the North West and introduction of radiotherapy. As Medical Director of the Cancer Network he developed multidisciplinary care and embedded expert patients in development and assurance of cancer services, through Peer Review.

He would bring experience of working with diverse stakeholders, in developing medical education and clinical services locally, regionally and on a cross border basis.

Professor Mark Taylor

Prof Mark A Taylor CStJ PhD FRCSI FRCS(Eng) FRCS(Gen Surg) is a Consultant HPB Surgeon at the Mater Hospital, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.  He trained in Belfast and at the Regional HPB and Transplant Unit in Edinburgh.  His Doctorate of Philosophy was in the pathophysiology of obstructive jaundice. He is the President of GBI Hepato-pancreato-biliary Association (GBIHPBA), President of the Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (PSGBI), Executive Council Member of Upper Gastro- Intestinal Surgeons (AUGIS) and on the Medical Advisory Board of Bowel Cancer UK.   In 2016, he was appointed by the Health Minister to an independent Expert panel tasked with Reconfiguration of Health and Social care in Northern Ireland.

In 2017 he was appointed to the Transformation Implementation Group (TIG) Department of Health, Northern Ireland.  In 2018 he was appointed the Director of Professional Affairs (NI) for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.  He has published extensively in the field of Hepatobiliary Surgery.  In June 2019 he was promoted to Commander of The Most Venerable Order of Hospital of John (CStJ) by her Majesty, The Queen. He is passionate about innovation, change and collective leadership within the HSCNI.  He is a Trustee of St.  John Ambulance and a keen cyclist.

Professor John Wong

A Graduate and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Mr John Wong did his Orthopaedic Residency in both Southern and Northern Ireland followed by a Fellowship in Paediatric Orthopaedics at Children’s Hospital, Buffalo, New York.

He is a Consultant Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon at Altnagelvin Hospital, where he has been practicing for the past twenty years.  He is active in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching.  He runs the Instructional Courses of the Irish Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, of which he is the immediate Past President.

A member of the Scientific Committee of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, a reviewer for several journals including ‘The Surgeon’, nominated ‘Top Reviewer’ for European ‘Foot and Ankle Surgery’ Journal, he retains a strong commitment to clinical and basic science Research with over 50 peer-reviewed publications in International journals.

His indefatigable passion and zest for work has inspired many trainees to follow his footsteps.  He is involved in developing the ‘Centre for Orthopaedic and Rheumatic Health’ in the North-West.  Career goals include establishing ‘Patient Reported Outcomes Measures’ and a ‘Diabetic Foot Service’ in the Western Trust.  His extensive experience of Orthopaedic teaching and research, incorporated with these important goals, will add new dimensions to University of Ulster NIGEMS.

Professor Mark Sheridan

Mark Sheridan graduated with Distinction in Medicine from Belfast and trained in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) in the UK, Germany & the Netherlands, and is a Consultant Anaesthetist in County Antrim.

Interested in leadership, team dynamics, and mental resilience in healthcare, with unusually extensive experience of pre-hospital care in austere settings, having designed and led exercises and teams worldwide, he has worked on the ground and on aeromed evacuation in the Balkans, Middle East and Central Asia. A trained lawyer, and the first doctor appointed to the staff of the UK flagship strategic leadership college in London, enabling training for senior officials from some 60 countries, he speaks frequently at meetings and courses on leadership and team cohesion, and sits on Ulster University’s Research Ethics Committee.

Divisional Surgeon for St John Ambulance since 1994, and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, he spent many enjoyable years working in Derry, and retains close working relationships in the North West, and across Ireland. He believes passionately that the North could be an exemplar in healthcare, and that broader life experience builds better doctors - he is proud to be part of NIGEMS. He believes that NHS transformation is essential, and should enhance the lives of staff and students whilst delivering better outcomes for people here.