Congratulations Kathy!

Kathy was nominated and successfully shortlisted for the Education in Practice category of Scotland’s Chief Scientific Officer’s Awards 2025. The event has just taken place and we’re over the moon to see her recognised for the work she does.

Kathy has been the Head of Service at Scotland’s largest Medical Illustration department at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board for almost two decades and has been instrumental in the modernisation and development of services that have enhanced patient outcomes and delivered real improvement in hospital efficiency. Her influence extends beyond her immediate role and has had a significant impact across the profession as a whole.

Throughout her career Kathy has made an enormous contribution to the professional body, the Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI), having served as Chair, as Editor of the Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine, as Conference Chair and in recent years as the Lead of the Education Committee. It is in this role that Kathy has excelled in supporting practitioners in terms of developing pathways to qualifications and continuous professional development (CPD).

During the Covid-19 Pandemic Kathy was central to the creation of online learning opportunities for practitioners with the introduction of lunchtime learning modules, professional webinars and the IMI’s first virtual conference as well as the review and development of IMI’s national guidelines.

Kathy has transformed the professional development landscape by ensuring that existing educational offerings remain relevant to modern healthcare while actively seeking to develop new opportunities for individuals new to the profession to qualify as clinical photographers. These include working toward the introduction of apprenticeships through NHS England, a postgraduate qualification via work-based learning at Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and in the creation of new education routes into the profession.

IMI believe this nomination is a fair reflection on Kathy’s dedication to developing future healthcare scientists, promoting professional standards and her commitment to advancing patient care through innovation, leadership and education.

Congratulations Kathy!