THE world of healthcare innovation is changing – and Glasgow is leading the way.

Groundbreaking projects - like the new superhospital - have already put the city on the map and more are in the pipeline.

Carol Clugston, chief operating officer at the University of Glasgow’s College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, believes the city has made leaps and bounds in recent years.

Dr Clugston received the prestigious Lord Provost’s Award for healthcare recently, in recognition of the major role she has had in the planning, funding and development of the academic infrastructure at the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), where she has worked on projects totalling over £70 million since 2012.

“I was amazed and delighted to win the award,” says Dr Clugston. “Although it’s in my name, it really is a team award, implementing the vision that has been led by former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year winner Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak.”

She adds: “It’s a privilege to be working at the University of Glasgow - and to be doing a job that doesn’t really feel like it’s a job.”

The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus is now home to an impressive Teaching & Learning Centre, state-of-the-art clinical research facilities, the recently-opened £32m Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) -- home to Scotland’s first ultra-high resolution 7 Tesla MRI scanner -- and the development of the £20m Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre.

As well as benefits to patients, the projects will create up to 700 jobs and bring £100m to the local economy, boosting Glasgow’s reputation as a global centre of excellence for biomedical innovation.

“These are all fantastic milestones, and it has been an exciting few months,” admits Dr Clugston. “But now that we have built the facilities, the real task – to make something of them – begins.

“I’m really delighted, too, that the university has been given the go-ahead to transform the old Western Infirmary site into a pioneering centre for health and wellbeing.

“This is incredibly exciting, as it forms part of the Western Campus development – which will invest £1billion over the next 10 years.”

She adds: “There is a lot of talk about the ‘triple helix’ – the relationship between academia, the public sector and industry and the way they can work together rather than apart. That’s what I want to happen here.”

It is already happening - the imaging Centre of Excellence, for example, brings together world-leading research, cutting edge technology and international business investment under one roof and will act as a hub for translating science into economic and patient benefit for Glasgow, Scotland and the UK.

The state of the art building also houses the Clinical Innovation Zone, a space dedicated to biomedical companies, which will facilitate industry collaborations and the development of innovative healthcare technology. There will also be a further floor of neuro operating theatres, which will be funded by the NHS GGC.

The Clinical Innovation Zone has already attracted international small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) from around the world, including Germany and Singapore.

Dr Clugston adds: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for life sciences in Glasgow. We have truly world-leading researchers here, who have been attracted to Glasgow from all over the world.

“We are at the very forefront of research - and we’re using that science to change people’s lives. Having Europe’s biggest and most advanced hospital in our city is not only great for patients, but it’s also a great opportunity for clinicians and scientists to carry out research into the causes of chronic diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and develop advanced new treatments such as precision medicine.”

She adds: “Our research isn’t just clinical though. It also extends to ground-breaking research in developing countries, including work on zika, ebola and rabies viruses, and zoonotic diseases which afflict thousands of people across sub-Saharan Africa.”

The challenge of Brexit is a serious one, admits Dr Clugston.

“Many of our scientists are non-UK Europeans, we have a lot of European research funding and we are leading many pan-European research collaborations,” she says. “Research on imaging with the 7 Tesla MRI scanner is very dependent on European networks, and we need to attract researchers and companies with skills and expertise that we don’t currently have in the UK.”

Dr Clugston believes Glasgow’s ability to look beyond its borders is central to its success.

“It’s true that ‘People Make Glasgow’ – in this case it’s definitely the huge scientific talent that we have here,” she says. “We are also great at networking, we aren’t parochial – so we have research collaborations across all parts of the world.”

Which brings Dr Clugston back to the most recent achievement she is proud to display.

“The Lord Provost’s award is wonderful – I’ve been carrying it around in my bag since I won it, in fact, so I can show it to anyone who asks,” she laughs.

“I love Glasgow – I grew up in Dumbarton and went to university in the city, so it has always been part of my life.

“It’s funny – at different times throughout my career, there has been pressure to move away and I’ve always had the thought in the back of my head – should I have gone? There’s almost an expectation you will travel and work in different places in this industry but I have never done so.

“Winning this award feels like a justification for staying, almost – it negates all those feelings. I’m very proud to have such a special award from the city I love.”