Professor Peter Sandercock
Nominated by: Dr Eivind Berge, Senior Consultant, Oslo University Hospital
In what way does the nominee inspire you?
Peter Sandercock is a well-known clinician and researcher in the field of stroke, and at the same time, a person with a genuine interest in the wellbeing of students and younger colleagues. He is always available when they need assistance, and actively helps them to make success in their own careers. He has been a mentor for numerous would-be trialists, and has always supported investigator-led clinical trials through delivering training courses and serving on steering committees and data monitoring committees.
He has also paid a significant contribution to the dissemination of evidence-based stroke practice, especially in low and middle-income countries. For many of these activities, there is not much academic recognition or reward, and for this he is an inspiring colleague.
Nominee's personal contribution to medical practice and impact on care
Peter Sandercock is a neurologist who has devoted his career to stroke clinical practice and research. His lifelong commitments have been to mentoring and training young stroke physicians and academics, disseminating evidence based stroke practice, supporting investigator-led clinical trials through delivering training courses, mentorship of would-be trialists and serving on steering and data monitoring committees.
His initial research was on the epidemiology of stroke in Oxfordshire, and in clinical trials of stroke prevention. He set up and ran the first International Stroke Trial (IST-1) of aspirin and heparin in 19.435 patients with acute stroke from 467 hospitals in 37 countries. He also set up and ran the IST-3, the largest ever randomised trial of intravenous thrombolysis with 3035 patients. He has served (and continues to serve) on many data monitoring and trial steering committees in academic, investigator-led randomised clinical trials in stroke and neurology (total of 61 and 25 as Chairman). He has published over 330 original research articles, serving on editorial boards and is an Associate Editor for International Journal of Stroke.
He has had a career-long interest in evidence-based medicine and served as member of the editorial board of the Cochrane Stroke Group for over 20 years and was the coordinating editor of the Cochrane Stroke Group 1998-2011. He was a founder member of the British Stroke Research Group (which was incorporated into the British Association of Stroke Physicians). He established and ran the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Management Course for over 10 years. Professor Sandercock had a major role in the University of Edinburgh online Masters Course in Clinical Trials by distance learning. Has delivered nearly 400 lectures on stroke, evidence-based medicine and clinical trials to audiences in 39 different countries.
He has served on the Board of Directors of the World Stroke Organisation (WSO) since 2008 and chairs the WSO Education Committee. He is a regular contributor to the EAN/WSO teaching courses for neurologists in Africa and has been made an Honorary Member of the Argentinian Cardiological Society, Polish Neurological Society, French Neurological Society and Indian Stroke Association.
In what way has the nominee shown their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity?
Peter Sandercock has always been inclusive towards colleagues with other medical specialties who want to work in the stroke field. This has been particularly important for many colleagues from other countries, where neurology is not the main specialty in the field of stroke. He has also actively favoured the inclusion of other health care professionals working with stroke patients. He has also shown a keen interest to help and promote the career of colleagues who are underrepresented in clinical and academic fora, such as young or female colleagues, or colleagues coming from underdeveloped countries. His practice of inclusivity is unique, and has contributed to more equality and diversity in stroke medicine.