Reflections on the GPA and the Importance of the University of Manchester by GPA Programme Manager Thomas Rogers

As I approach the completion of my first year as Programme Manager of the GPA, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my time in the role so far and by extension the importance of the University of Manchester as our host academic organisation. I have worked at the University since 2022, previously in clinical research study management for the Centre of Musculoskeletal Research. My switch from rheumatology to dermatology, light-heartedly described by one dermatologist as a ‘higher calling’.

Our University, while often not at the focal point of the GPA, is one of the essential pillars of our ongoing success. The University of Manchester is a powerhouse of research and the research conducted here helps make a real difference to the quality of people’s lives across the globe www.manchester.ac.uk/research - we are all proud to play our small part. The GPA team and I are fortunate to be part of a vibrant and purpose-driven research community. The expertise, support and commitment of passionate colleagues across our institution have been invaluable to our programme past and present.

While the GPA truly is a global enterprise, our core team are physically based at Manchester Science Park along the Oxford Road Corridor - where we call home. This part of our city is particularly steeped in industrial, scientific and social history, and to say we are in good company here would be an understatement https://oxfordroadcorridor.com/about-us/timeline/. Although our work is far less profound than the Suffragettes and Nobel laureates who came before, we press on with our important mission.

As we enter our third and final year of Phase III of the GPA, the team and I are taking a moment to reflect on and appreciate our strong academic foundations. We have a busy year to come, and we are excited and optimistic about what’s ahead.