Associate Professor, Bristol Medical School
Santi started working with the University in 2006 as a Lecturer in Population and Molecular Genetics. His research focussed on complex genomic mechanisms of common diseases, including mitochondrial DNA copy number, telomere length and copy number variants. Santi contributed to the school’s genetics short course programme, supervised 8 PhD students, all of whom went on to have successful careers in academia or industry, and provided personal tutoring to dozens of medical students. In 2018, Santi became academic lead for student choice projects in the new undergraduate medical curriculum, a role in which his gentle leadership stood out. In 2020, Santi deepened his commitment to teaching by taking on the role of co-lead for the Year 1 undergraduate medical curriculum. This coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, however, never one to shy away from a challenge, Santi threw himself into adapting the entire teaching programme to online and blended learning, prioritising the welfare of students throughout. Santi was deeply committed to offering the best pastoral support for Bristol students; he sat on multiple committees, created a team of Teaching Associates and ever generous with his time, provided untold hours of support (both personal and academic) to many students. Santi’s passion for medical and population genetics never left him; more recently he had been working on integrating it into the medical curriculum in a more comprehensive manner.
Santi will be hugely missed by so very many. His colleagues share memories of him as gentle and kind, with a deep compassion for others and an infectious smile. Listening to him talk about his family, music, his academic interests or teaching was always a joy. Santi’s sense of humour and ability to get the best out of others will be sadly missed. His legacy will live on through the hundreds of students who will become our caring doctors of tomorrow.
Read further details about Santi’s life and work.
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