Glasgow Caledonian University Professor Sharon Hutchinson CBE was invited to the Scottish Parliament to share her expertise on the elimination of Hepatitis C with MSPs from across the political spectrum.
The Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, in the School of Health and Life Sciences, attended an Eliminating Hepatitis C in Scotland roundtable event, hosted and chaired by Miles Briggs MSP, and organised by Waverley Care, Scotland’s HIV and Hepatitis C charity.
Professor Hutchinson, a lead researcher in the Research Centre for Health (ReaCH) Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses (BBV) Research Group, said: “The Scottish Parliament roundtable event was an important opportunity to brief MSPs on the progress of Hepatitis C elimination, and discuss the key challenges and potential solutions going forward.
“The event clearly demonstrated the important collaborative efforts being made across Scotland between NHS boards, third sector organisations, public health and academia.”
Professor Hutchinson, who is also a Public Health Scotland (PHS) Consultant Scientist, outlined Scotland’s Hepatitis C elimination progress, and the solutions and barriers to achieving elimination by March 2025.
Working between Glasgow Caledonian and PHS, Professor Hutchinson leads a research programme on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Hepatitis C and other blood borne viruses, with a particular focus on the most marginalised and disadvantaged in society.
She is also co-leading, with Professor Claudia Estcourt, a dedicated research programme entitled Beyond BBV, launched by Glasgow Caledonian University last December, with a £2.5 million 10-year investment, to support the Scottish Government’s plans to become the first country in the world to both end HIV transmission and eliminate Hepatitis C as a major public health concern.
The Blood Borne Virus Prevention Team, led by Professors Hutchinson and Estcourt, won the prestigious Research Project of the Year Award at The Herald Higher Education Awards in June this year.
They are the forefront of international work to reduce the impact of HIV and other blood borne viruses. Their ground-breaking research into patterns of infection and how to prevent them is key to achieving the Scottish Government’s ambitious target to end transmission of HIV in Scotland by 2030.
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