Georgina Ferry interviews Chris Price, Divisional Registrar and Chief Operating Officer for Medical Sciences, 8 February 2023.
Topics discussed include (00:00:34) work at the University of Oxford since 1993, sociology degree, work with Sir Richard Peto and Sir Rory Collins in the Clinical Trial Service Unit ; (00:01:52) interest in medical sciences, work in professional services roles; (00:03:40) scale of Medical Sciences Division; (00:05:06) scope of role as Registrar; (00:06:31) working with clinicians and medical colleagues; (00:08:06) challenging and rewarding projects worked on up to 2019; (00:12:52) first awareness of COVID-19; (00:17:07) coordination of the scientific community at Oxford, led by Richard Cornall and daily meetings, creation of group led by senior scientists; (00:21:55) movement of the Medical Sciences Divisional Office and closure; (00:26:31) COVID-19 response fundraising; (00:30:34) main challenges in supporting scientists; (00:37:46) University response; (00:42:45) supply issues within the NHS, including access to PPE and swabs; (00:48:18) setting up in-house PCR testing service for university staff and students; (00:53:50) involvement in lateral flow device testing across the university; (00:58:45) percentage of researchers in the division working on COVID-19, other staff in the division and remote working; (01:03:02) staff wellbeing and support; (01:07:08) personal threat from COVID-19; (01:12:27) university-wide collaborations, ability to work together as a result of the pandemic and changes as a result of this; (01:21:58) lasting legacies, including Pandemic Sciences Institute; (01:26:21) changes in approach to work, as a result of the pandemic.
