The Lancet - Fourteen years with The Lancet, Deputy Editor since 2001

After qualifying in medicine from University College Hospital in London, I trained to be a GP which included working in the NHS for 5 years in both hospital and in GP appointments. But at the point I needed to make a decision about becoming a partner in a general practice, I concluded that I really wanted a role that would feed my creative side but still fuel my interest in medicine and use my medical knowledge. I joined first Medical Tribune then Medical Action Communications for 2 years, which I enjoyed, but always worried about the underlying ethics, so when a job at The Lancet was advertised I jumped at the chance to apply.

I joined the business in 1993 as an Assistant Editor to The Lancet, one of the most prestigious journals in the medical world. With time, I progressed to become a Senior Editor and then onto my current role as a Deputy Editor.

I love what I do. I work on a fantastic journal with a superb team that actually makes a difference to the advancements of medicine, changing medical and scientific practice. The Lancet is very much a product of its staff, and our individual interests and passions are represented in its content. I help to select research for external peer review and eventual publication, commission state-of-the-art reviews, write editorials, and am involved in all aspects of the journal and its website. Very few jobs have the same level of impact within a professional community, and also more widely in society. What we publish actually matters.

Occasionally, I am asked to give comments to journalists about our latest content, especially when the Editor, Richard Horton is unavailable. One of my career highlights was undoubtedly being interviewed on the Today programme about an editorial calling for a complete ban on smoking. This generated a vast amount of press coverage and, I would like to think, injected a bit more momentum into the passive smoking debate. Other highlights have been chairing a press conference with the head of STOP-TB, Mario Raviglione, and editorialising about other neglected diseases.

There can be some travel involved in what I do. So far this year I have been to Canada to represent The Lancet journals at a meeting on revising the guidelines for reporting of clinical trials, the USA, and most recently to Geneva, for a meeting at the World Health Organization on tropical diseases and the drugs available. However, as I have young children I try not to spend too much time travelling, and find that I can usually prioritise some trips over others so that I am not away too often.

I have had both my children during my time with the company and have also worked part-time during this period when Richard and HR worked together to enable a job-share to be arranged. The Lancet team and Elsevier have been very supportive of me and continue to offer good flexible working options for people in similar situations, including home-working options.

As far as the future is concerned, I see myself staying with the business and continuing to have an impact on the journal and helping other staff to do so too.

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