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Prof David Beard

Fellow, Official Fellow

Professor of Musculoskeletal and Surgical Science

Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Science

GDPhys, MCSP, MA, MSc, DPhil, FBOA (hon), FRCS (hon)

Professor of Musculoskeletal and Surgical Science, an NIHR Senior Investigator, and Director of the RCSEng Surgical Intervention Trials Unit within the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Science (Division of Medicine), at the University of Oxford.

Also, Professor and Director of Research Partnerships at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, at the University of Sydney, with a specialist role as Surgical & Complex Intervention Trials Lead. Holds a NHMRC Investigator Grant (Leadership Fellow Level 3).

Academic qualifications include an MSc in Biomedical Science (Kings College London) and a DPhil in Medicine (Oxford) awarded for studies on knee joint proprioception. Holds honorary fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons FRCS (Eng), and the British Orthopaedic Association (FBOA). Clinically qualified as an extended scope practitioner (consultant physiotherapist) for 27 years until 2023.

At the University of Oxford, leads a clinical research theme dedicated to evaluating surgical intervention and as one of 8 national Royal College of Surgeons (Eng) Surgical Trials Professors, has a senior leadership role in delivering NIHR ambitions in research training and support for surgical trials. In this role, has secured >GBP50M in research funding.

Major research interests and expertise are in trial design and planning, delivery and with special interest in outcome measurement, expertise trial design, placebo surgical control, service implementation and efficacy evaluation (robotic surgery).

Other roles include the supervision of several DPhil and MSc students within both Universities (Oxford and Sydney), regular examiner for the University, and reviewer for high-level journals and funding bodies.

For publications and grants please see his department page.