Jamie Coleman

Professor Jamie Coleman, professor of clinical pharmacology and medical education, University of Birmingham

What do you do? and what is a typical week for you?

I do not have a typical week and carry out roles both locally, nationally and internationally in my work.

In Birmingham, I am a Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Education within the School of Medicine at the University of Birmingham. I am the Deputy Programme Director of the MBChB programme, human disease and Therapeutics Lead for the BDS Dentistry course, and a senior clinical examiner for Year 5 of the MBChB in Medicine and Therapeutics. I work at the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust where I do clinics in Hypertension and Cardiovascular risk, have acute and general internal medicine admissions and ward responsibilities and chair the drugs and therapeutics committee.

Nationally, I chair the Prescribing Skills Assessment Board, am a member of the Pharmacovigilance Expert Advisory Group of MHRA and I am Clinical Lead for the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network on Drug Safety and Medicines Optimisation. I also currently chair the Specialist Advisory Committee for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the UK, am a member of the Clinical Section of the British Pharmacological Society and an associate editor of the Postgraduate Medical Journal.

Internationally I am the chair elect of the European Association of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics which I will chair from 2019 to 2021.

What qualifications and experience do you have?

I grew up in the West Midlands and studied medicine at the University of Birmingham graduating in 1999.

During registrar training in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, I pursued my interests in education and tutored in various years of the MBChB course. From 2003 to 2008, I completed both my MD in pharmacoepidemiology-based research on Adverse Drug reactions and a Masters in Medical Education. Soon after in 2009 I was awarded a competitive HEFCE-funded senior lectureship. In 2015 I was promoted to a Professorship in Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Education.

What’s the most interesting aspect of your job?

Everything – that is one of the problems. Clinical pharmacology offers a lot of potential to pursue a wide variety of interests in research, education and clinical practice. I try to do them all – hopefully some of them well! Ultimately consulting with outpatients with complex medication issues (such as multiple drug intolerances and problematic polypharmacy) is what really inspires and interests me.

What are your research interests?

My research interest are as follows:

  • Drug Safety, Adverse Drug Reactions and Medicines Optimisation
  • Patient Safety
  • Health Informatics and ePrescribing
  • Medical Education

What one piece of advice would you give to someone seeking a career in clinical pharmacology?

Prepare to be able to say “No” – a skill I have not yet acquired. This is because clinical pharmacologists are the physician equivalent of a pluripotent stem cell – able to do many different things.



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