Professor Elio Riboli has announced that he will step down from his role as Head of the School of Public Health at the end of 2017.

Professor Elio Riboli became Divisional Head of Epidemiology, Public Health and Primary Care in 2006 and oversaw the establishment of the School of Public Health in January 2010.

Since taking on leadership 11 years ago Professor Riboli has led the development of the School in both research and teaching whilst continually advancing and consolidating its high academic reputation, highlighted by the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) which ranked Imperial 1st for world-leading (4*) research in Public Health, Health Sciences and Primary Care.

Professor Riboli said: “I think that after 11 years now is the right time for me to hand over the leadership of a strong and well established School, building on new generations of brilliant academics, researchers, technicians, managers and administrators.

“I will continue to work in my role as Professor of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention and plan to take this opportunity to focus, with more time and energy, on my research activities.”

Professor Deborah Ashby, Chair in Medical Statistics and Clinical Trials, has accepted appointment as Interim Head of the School of Public Health from 1 January 2018, pending appointment of a new Head of School.