Locality Postgraduate Dean – Dr Rebecca Black (Deanery Days – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
Having trained in Cambridge and London, I am now a Consultant in Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine in Oxford. I have a long-standing interest in education, previously as Head of School of O&G and Associate Dean in Thames Valley and now Locality Postgraduate Dean. I am keen to see everyone being supported along their learning journey and am grateful to all the wonderful educators we have across Thames Valley and Wessex. Contact: rebecca.black14@nhs.net
Postgraduate Dental Dean – John Darby
Professor John Darby is Postgraduate Dental Dean for Thames Valley and Wessex.
John graduated from Kings and commenced his dental career in SE London. He spent much of his working life as a General Dental Practitioner in Croydon, South London. He was the owner of a large practice and began his interest in education by becoming an ES, taking on a series of new graduates as Foundation Dental Trainees. His interest in education has taken him forward through TPD, AD, and eventually Dean roles in London, KSS, and finally Thames Valley and Wessex. He is a great advocate of multi-professional working and is very keen to see the growing role for apprenticeships within all the dental skill sets become successful, supporting career progress through skills escalation. He is the lead dean for dental apprenticeships on NHSE WT&E.
Contact: john.darby7@nhs.net
Associate Deans
- Anne Edwards – Associate Dean & Foundation School Director
Mary-Rose Shears – Primary Care Dean, Thames Valley and Wessex
BA (Oxon), MA, MB BS, MRCGP, PFHEA
Mary-Rose has worked for over 30 years as GP in East Sussex, previously having completed her Medical training at Oxford and the Royal London. She now focusses on her Primary Care Dean activities. In this role she leads the recruitment, training and retention of the primary care workforce within Thames Valley and Wessex (TVW). She oversees both the GP School and Primary Care School across the TVW footprint. Within TVW, the in house Training Hubs support the wider workforce within practices. The GP school delivers GP training within both hospital placements and the primary care setting. Our high quality education and training within primary care ensures good care for patients and the transformation of the future workforce.
Contact: m.shears@nhs.net
Dr Sara McDouall, Faculty Development (Deanery Days – TBC) Start date -1st April 2026
Dr Julia Newton – Associate Dean for Support & Governance (Deanery Days – Wednesday & Thursday)
MBChB DPhil DipSEM FFSEM FRCP
I trained in Manchester and moved to Oxford to undertake my DPhil, complete my Rheumatology training and develop my interest in Sport and Exercise Medicine. In 2006, I was appointed to my current post in OUH Trust as a consultant in Rheumatology/Sport and Exercise Medicine. I worked in elite sport alongside my NHS role for 15 years, and I am also Vice President of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine. Education has been part of my portfolio of work since I started as a consultant. I have had many education roles including SEM TPD for 10 years, SAC Chair, Deputy Head of School and then Head of School of Medicine before starting this AD role.
Contact: Julia.newton4@nhs.net / Julia.newton@ouh.nhs.uk
Antonia Calogeras (Deanery Days – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) – Professional Support & Wellbeing Service
Antonia is a Consultant Rheumatologist at University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. As well as managing the Professional Support and Wellbeing Service (PSWS), Antonia’s current Associate Dean portfolio also includes SuppoRTT.
Contact: antonia.calogeras@nhs.net
Professor Dominic Furniss – Associate Dean Academic Affairs
DM MA MBBCh FRCS (Plast)
I trained in medicine as an undergraduate in Cambridge, coming over to Oxford for Clinical School. I then completed my basic surgical training in London, returning to Oxford to pursue a DM degree, followed by higher surgical training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. I was appointed in the first round of NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturers in 2007. From there, I have been fortunate to pursue a career as a clinical academic, taking up a post as Wellcome Intermediate Fellow and Honorary Consultant Plastic Surgeon in 2013. I was appointed full Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2020.
I have always maintained a strong interest in medical education, especially in facilitating the development of surgeons and clinical academics. I was training programme director for Plastic Surgery for four years, followed by Head of School of Surgery, also for four years. Concurrently, I was an academic training program director within the Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School (OUCAGS). Since 2025, I have been Director of OUCAGS with responsibility for all clinical academic trainees within Thames Valley.
In OUCAGS, we work at the interface of NHS England, NHS employers and the University. Our mission is to train and develop world leading clinical academics. Our three pillars reflect our focus on people, careers, and impact. To achieve this, we foster a strong collegiate environment based around principles of equity, inclusion, transparency, and support.
Contact: Dominic.furniss@ndorms.ox.ac.uk
Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School website
Simon Smith – Associate Dean for Quality (Deanery Days – Tuesday & Wednesday)
Simon graduated from The London Hospital Medical College, some time in the last millennium. He has been a Consultant in Emergency Medicine (formally ‘Accident and Emergency’) since 2003, and has worked in the Emergency Departments in Oxfordshire since 2009.
Simon has a long experience in medical education, both as an Educational Supervisor and in roles with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Previously he had been a Training Programme Director and Head of School, before being appointed as Associate Dean for Quality in 2018. Outside of medicine, Simon enjoys reading (particularly Victorian literature), low-brow cinema, and watching sport.
Contact: simon.smith53@nhs.net
Helen Higham – Associate Dean for Simulation and Patient Safety (Deanery Day – 1 day a week flexibly – Thursday/Friday)
MBChB, FRCA, DPhil, SFHEA
Associate Dean for Simulation and Patient Safety
Having trained in Manchester and London I moved to Oxford as a research fellow. I’m now a Consultant Anaesthetist, and Associate Professor in the University where our research focuses on human factors and clinical education. I’ve always been passionate about high quality education, particularly simulation and technology enhanced learning and was a founding member of the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare in the UK. As Associate Dean for Simulation and Patient Safety I’m keen to expand and develop simulation training and support all the fantastic educators we have around our region in providing the best training experiences possible for our Resident Doctors.
Contact: helen.higham4@nhs.net
Garyfallia Fountoulaki – Associate Dean, Transformation & Delivery (Deanery Day – Friday)
After studying medicine in Greece, Garyfallia did a dual Postgraduate medical training in Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in the Oxford Deanery, followed by a MSC with Newman University. Garyfallia now works clinically as a Consultant in Adult Psychiatry in Berkshire.
Garyfallia has enjoyed supporting the development of Undergraduate and Postgraduate doctors in Training, and has been a trainer for Foundation, GP and Psychiatry trainees. Prior to becoming an Associate Dean, she was a DME for BHFT. Her AD portfolio includes ARCP’s, supporting TIF’s and SAS development. She has significant experience in medical leadership and is a Divisional Clinical Director for BHFT.
Contact: g.fountoulaki@nhs.net