Rate My Professor David Wright

Professor David Wright is Professor of Health Services Research and Head of the School of Healthcare at the University of Leicester. He also holds the position of Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Bergen in Norway. Wright earned a BPharm (Hons), PGCHEP, and PhD from the University of Bradford, with his doctoral research focused on the role of the clinical pharmacist in care homes. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated excellence in education, receiving Chancellor awards for teaching at two previous institutions. He has designed and implemented new undergraduate and postgraduate courses, collaborating closely with employers and students to ensure graduates are highly employable. As principal investigator, Wright has attracted more than £8 million in research funding and successfully supervised 15 PhD students to completion. He has chaired several national reviews in pharmacy practice and led the development of three national guidelines for managing dysphagia.

Wright's research specializations centre on medicines optimisation for older people, particularly residents in care homes, individuals with dysphagia, and the application of pharmacogenomics. His methodological expertise lies in evaluating complex interventions, encompassing systematic reviews, feasibility studies, and definitive randomised controlled trials. Additionally, he conducts pedagogical research on the development of pharmacists as clinical practitioners and their integration into multidisciplinary healthcare teams. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, three authored books, and contributions to chapters in two others, Wright has made substantial contributions to his field. Key publications include 'Formative service evaluation of transfer of care service for care home residents after hospital discharge' (International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 2022), 'European Stroke Organisation and European Society for Swallowing Disorders guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of post-stroke dysphagia' (European Stroke Journal, 2021), 'Process evaluation for the Care Homes Independent Pharmacist Prescriber Study (CHIPPS)' (BMC Health Services Research, 2021), and 'Development and feasibility testing of an evidence-based training programme for pharmacist independent prescribers responsible for the medicines-related activities within care homes' (International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 2021). His influence extends beyond academia through practical innovations such as the swallowingdifficulties.com website, international Massive Open Online Courses on medicines and dysphagia, administering medicines in care homes, and evaluating complex interventions, as well as the free Pharmaquest app designed to enhance healthcare professionals' knowledge of medicines.