ACCORD's expert teams guide researchers through every stage of the clinical research journey, offering tailored support across all study types to ensure compliance, quality, and success and ensuring you have a clear point of contact from funding application through to study delivery. ACCORD teams and contacts at different stages of your research ACCORD contacts at each stage of research NHS Finance The NHS Lothian R&D Finance team provides costs for funding applications and hosted research where the research involves NHS patients or resources. They work closely with ERO Research Funding.NHS Finance Research Governance The Research Governance team support researchers in the earlier study planning stages and remains available to support any modifications throughout the live study. Contact us early - ideally when preparing your funding application - at resgov@accord.scot.If you already have funding and are drafting your protocol, you can use our templates or email for advice.If you are ready for Sponsor review, send draft documents to resgov@accord.scot. A Coordinator or Facilitator will be assigned as your Sponsor Representative, guiding you through approvals, modifications, and liaising with other ACCORD teams as needed. Administrative support Kasia Bialonowska Research Governance Administrative Assistant Research Facilitator team Support regulated and complex clinical trials:Provide advice for funding applications and study set-upSupport protocol development and trial planningContribute to Risk Assessments with other key members of ACCORDFacilitate submissions to secure approvalsReview and approve study modificationsPaul Dearie Research Facilitation ManagerDr Fiach O’Mahony Research FacilitatorTiago Santos Research Facilitator Research Coordinator team Support non-regulated clinical research:Provide advice for funding applicationsFacilitate approvals for non-regulated clinical researchPerform Sponsor reviewsContribute to Risk Assessments with other key members of ACCORDReview and approve study modificationsJo-Anne Robertson Research Governance ManagerChris Coner Research CoordinatorDr Conni McCarthy Research Coordinator Global Health team If you are planning a regulated or non-regulated global health study in a low or middle-income country (LMIC), one of our experienced global health research governance team members will be assigned to support you, helping to provide the functions of sponsorship to assist in the setup of your global health study.Ellie McMaster Global Health Research FacilitatorLaura Rankin Research Governance Assistant NHS Lothian R&D Our NHS Lothian R&D Research Governance team supports researchers in securing R&D management approvals for clinical studies conducted within NHS Lothian. Contact them when submitting a project for approval, or for advice before submitting, at enquiries@accord.scot.You should also reach out to the NHS Lothian Commercial R&D Research Governance team if your study is a commercially led clinical trial to be hosted in NHS Lothian. Administrative support Lesley Saeed Administration Manager NHS Research Governance team Kenneth Scott NRS Generic Review ManagerCaroline King Research Governance OfficerManisha Khatri Research Governance OfficerElizabeth-Ann Alexander R&D CoordinatorEloise Candlish R&D Coordinator NHS Commercial team Melissa Taylor R&D Commercial LeadFiona Bairstow R&D CoordinatorLisa Robertson Research Governance OfficerGlenn Robinson Research Governance OfficerBilkis Ali Research Governance Officer Contracts team The NHS R&D Contracts team manages research agreements with NHS Lothian, working closely with the University’s Contracts team and solicitors and commercial companies as necessary. Early initiation ensures alignment and avoids delays before the study starts.Dr Douglas Young Principal R&D ManagerMichael Adamson Contracts Manager Monitoring Our Monitors help ensure your study runs safely, smoothly, and in line with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and regulatory requirements. They will perform site monitoring visits and support you by:Contributing to Risk Assessments with other key members of ACCORDChecking compliance and data integrityGuiding documentation and reportingAdvising on safety eventsHelping with inspections and auditsResolving issues quickly through ongoing communication Monitoring team Elizabeth Craig Senior Clinical Trials MonitorAlice Graves Senior Clinical Trials MonitorLynn Smith Clinical Trials MonitorMhairi Moore Clinical Trials MonitorVanessa Wareham Clinical Trials MonitorLaura Flett Clinical Trials MonitorCaroline Garth Clinical Trials MonitorLaura Garcia Puerta Clinical Trials Monitor Pharmacovigilance Our Pharmacovigilance team monitors the safety of your study. They support you by:Contributing to Risk Assessments with other key members of ACCORDCollecting and analysing safety dataIdentifying potential safety signalsReporting findings to regulatory authorities when requiredAdvising on safety management throughout the trialDr Camille Bach Pharmacovigilance ManagerMaria Hogg Pharmacovigilance OfficerSweta Rath Pharmacovigilance Officer Quality Assurance Our QA team helps ensure your study meets the highest standards. They support you by:Managing risks to maintain trial qualityLeading the Risk Assessment process with other key members of ACCORDReviewing processes and documentationConducting audits to check complianceImplementing corrective and preventive actionsLorn Mackenzie QA ManagerGavin Robertson QA CoordinatorRoisin Ellis QA Administrator Information Governance team The R&D Information Governance Lead works closely with the NHS Lothian eHealth team to ensure compliance with Data Protection and NHS Lothian IT Security policies.Pavlina McGovern R&D Information Governance LeadFlavian Ghiuta Information Security Programme Manager R&D Portfolio Performance team The Portfolio Performance team oversees NHS Lothian’s funded studies, ensuring they meet recruitment targets and timelines. Working nationally, the team collaborates with NRS Portfolio Performance Managers across Scotland. Madeleine Bayne NRS Portfolio Performance ManagerCarol Williams NRS Champion Support ManagerBecky Funnell NRS Portfolio Administration OfficerFiona McNeill Project Information Manager This article was published on 2025-09-02
