On the move

Mike Spyer, former director of the Autonomic Neuroscience Institute and dean of the Royal Free Campus and University College Medical School, has been appointed principal and dean of the newly merged Royal Free and University College Medical School.

Elaine Thomas, director of the school of cultural studies at Sheffield Hallam University and chair of the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design, has been appointed director and chief executive of the Surrey Institute of Art and Design from January 2000.

Charles Harvey, founder and former director of Royal Holloway school of management at the University of London, has joined the University of the West of England as dean of Bristol Business School.

Sir John Pattison, director of research and development at the Department of Health and until recently vice-provost and professor of medical microbiology at University College London, has been appointed to the Medical Research Council for four years.

Richard Denton, professor and head of department for biochemistry at the University of Bristol, and Derek Flint, retired from Lloyds TSB, have been appointed to the council for three years.

Jillian Lenne, programme leader for the department for international development crop protection programme at Natural Resources International, and Peter Meyer, professor of plant genetics, Leeds Institute for Plant Biotechnology and Agriculture, University of Leeds, have been appointed to the board of Horticulture Research International.They replace Tim Flowers and James Callow, whose appointments expired in June.

Stephen Yeo, honorary professor at the Centre for Social History, University of Warwick, and visiting fellow at the Institute of Education, University of London, has been appointed chairman of the Co-operative College Trust board of management.

The University of Leeds has appointed: Nigel Biggar, former lecturer in theology at the University of Oxford, chair of theology in the department of theology and religious studies; Delia Davin, former reader in the department of East Asian studies, chair in the department; Frank Finlay, former senior lecturer and chair of the German section at the University of Bradford, chair of German; Diana Holmes, previously head of the French department at Keele University, chair of French; Alan Handyside, previously reader in obstetrics and gynaecology at Guys' and St Thomas's Hospital, Kings' College, London, chair of developmental biology; Christopher Page, former professor of structural materials at Aston University, chair of civil engineering materials; and Gerard Hodgkinson, former professor of organisational behaviour and strategic management at the University of Exeter, chair of organisational behaviour and strategic management in the Leeds University Business School.

Robin Hambleton, professor of research development built environment, has been appointed a special adviser to the joint committee of the House of Lords and the House of Commons on the draft local government (organisation and standards) bill.

Diane Stone, coordinator of the Community Action Centre at UWE, has been appointed vice-chair of the Bristol Lifelong Learning Forum.