Dr Gail Rees is Associate Professor in, and Acting Deputy Head of School of, the School of Biomedical Sciences which is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. She is also a member of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Athena Swan Silver Self-Assessment Team.
Gail was successfully supported through the Academic Promotions process at the end of 2013, resulting in her promotion to Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor). She said:
“When the role of Acting Deputy Head of School was made available, I was actively encouraged to apply for the post and I attribute a large proportion of my success to the supportive environment within which the recruitment process sat.”
Gail is a role model within the School and externally. She has been encouraged to become a ‘go-to’ media commentator on research, reports and news items relating to diet and has been quoted locally and nationally in relation to the proposed sugar tax.
She has also mentored other female members of staff, including helping a female researcher complete her PGCAP qualification so that she could take on more teaching duties.
As Acting Deputy Head of School her ambition is to provide further support to female colleagues, while at the same time being encouraged to supplement her own professional development, such as being trained in chairing committees.
As well as being a noted researcher and educator, Gail is also the busy mum of three school-aged sons aged between 10 and 15. The Faculty has helped her to manage her work-life balance by providing flexibility in timetabling and the informal flexible working available to all staff which allows them to work from home when not teaching during school holidays.