Paul Dark, BSc MB ChB PhD FRCS (Edinburgh) FRCEM FCICM FRCA (Hon)

1. Vice Dean for Health and Care Partnerships

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

The University of Manchester

2. Professor of Critical Care Medicine

Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

University of Manchester

3. Academic Director

Health Innovation Manchester

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

4. NIHR Senior Investigator

National Institute for Health and Care Research

London, England

5. Research Professor of Humanitarian and Conflict Response

Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute

School of Arts, Languages and Culture

University of Manchester

6. Honorary NHS Consultant

Critical Care and Major Trauma Services

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Greater Manchester

Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/paul-dark-33002722

Paul Dark is an Anglo-Swiss clinical academic and strategic leader in higher education and healthcare. He studied physics and medicine before graduating from The Manchester Medical School. He subsequently pursued clinical academic training in surgery, emergency medicine and critical care at the Universities of Glasgow and Manchester in the UK, and at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

As MRC PhD Clinical Training Fellow, supervised by Professor Rod Little in partnership with industry and the Ministry of Defence, he developed innovative methods for studying dynamic cardiorespiratory responses to major tissue injury and haemorrhage. This work generated important evidence for the validation and refinement of minimally invasive patient monitoring technologies, including Doppler ultrasound and arterial pulse wave systems, that are now widely used in healthcare.

He was appointed to his current clinical academic post at the University of Manchester in 2003. Since then, he has led the development of clinical services and academic practice in Critical Care and Major Trauma at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. He leads a major programme of research, funded primarily by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), investigating the clinical and cost effectiveness of emerging molecular diagnostic technologies for sterile tissue injury and severe infections, including sepsis, within both high and low resource healthcare settings internationally. The research and innovation programme aims to optimise antimicrobial prescribing and improve patient outcomes through earlier and more precise diagnosis.

From 2022 to 2024, Paul served as National Deputy Medical Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network, providing strategic leadership for the development, delivery and accessibility of a large national portfolio of applied clinical research in NHS acute hospital settings. He also represented NIHR internationally. Previously, he was the NIHR National Specialty Lead for Critical Care (2015-22) and a member of the NIHR Urgent Public Health Research Advisory Group, where he advised the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Chief Medical Officers on research priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is also Research Professor at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, providing strategic interdisciplinary leadership in global health and social justice.

In September 2024, Paul was appointed Vice Dean for Health and Care Partnerships at The University of Manchester and Academic Director of Health Innovation Manchester in 2026. In these roles, he leads the development and strengthening of partnerships across the NHS, health and care organisations, industry and civic institutions throughout Greater Manchester, the North West and nationally. Working closely with senior university leaders and health and care partners, he helps shape strategic responses to emerging opportunities and challenges arising from developments in legislation, technology and government policy, ensuring that research, innovation, education and healthcare delivery remain closely aligned for public benefit.

NIHR/MRC Strategic Advisory Committee, Efficacy Mechanisms Evaluation (EME) Programme (2022 - present)

NIHR CRN CC National Deputy Medical Director (April 2022 - July 2024)

NIHR Senior Investigator (Two terms: 2022-2030)

NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre Investigator (2017 - present)

NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Emeregncy and Acute Care (2024 - present)

NIHR-UK Representative, European Clinical Research Alliance on Infectious Diseases (ECRAID), Clinical Liaison Council, European Union (2023 - 2024)

NIHR National Specialty Cluster Lead, King's College London (April 2021 - 2022)

NIHR National Specialty Lead for Critical Care, King's College London (June 2015 - 2022)

NIHR COVID-19 Understanding and Eliminating - Trials Implementation Panel (CUE-TIP) member (April 2021 - 2022)

NIHR/UKRI College of Experts, Global Effort on COVID-19 (GECO) Health Research (September 2020 - 21)

Member of the national Urgent Public Health Research Advisory Group (COVID-19), NIHR/DHSC/CMOs (March 2020 - 21)

NIHR representative for COVID-19 National Emergency Critical Care Committee (March 2020-2022)

NIHR Steering Group, Improving Inclusion of Under-Served Groups in Clinical Research - the INCLUDE project (2018- 21) 

NIHR Manchester BRC Respiratory Infections (non-fungal) sub-theme lead (2017 - 2022)

NIHR's international representative, International Forum for Acute Care Trialists, Toronto, Canada (2016 - 2022)

NIHR's international representative, COMBACTE-NET IMI programme, European Union (2016 - 2022)

Critical Care Leadership Forum, Research Lead, Faculty of Intensive Care (2015- 2022)

NIHR Greater Manchester LCRN Critical Care Speciality Group Lead (2011-2016)

NIHR Greater Manchester LCRN Divisional Clinical Lead (2015-19)

Member of National Critical Care Specialty Group Committee (2013- 2022) Chair from 2015 - 2022

Member of UK Intensive Care Society Research Committee (2013 - 2022)

Organising Committee Chair, UK Critical Care Research Forum (2014 - 15)

Director, Greater Manchester Academic Centre for Acute Care and Trauma, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Health Innovation Manchester (2013 - 21)

Board Member, UK Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) (2015- 2024)

Lead Specialist Member, Diagnostic Advisory Committee, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2014 - 2024)
 

BSc (Physics) MB ChB (Manchester 1989), FRCS (Edinburgh 1994), PhD (Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Victoria University of Manchester 2002), FRCEM (London, 2002), FCICM (London 2012), FRCA (Hon, London 2019).