Professor Christopher F Higgins, DL, BSc (Dunelm), PhD (Dunelm), FRSE, FRSA, FMedSci

Chris Higgins took up his appointment as the University's Vice-Chancellor and Warden on 16 April 2007.

His previous appointment was as Director of the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Professor and Head of Division of Clinical Sciences at Imperial College London.

He obtained his degree and PhD in Botany from Durham University and subsequently took up a Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship to study at the University of California, Berkeley.  He returned to the University of Dundee as a lecturer in 1981.  In 1989 he moved to Oxford, initially as Principal Scientist with Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now CR-UK) and in 1993 was appointed Nuffield Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Head of Department at the University of Oxford.  He moved to the post of Director of the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Professor and Head of Division of Clinical Sciences at Imperial College London in 1998.

Chris has published over 200 research papers in the field of cell biology and genetics and awards for his research include the CIBA Medal, Fleming Prize, a Howard Hughes International Research Scholarship, and elected Fellow of EMBO. He founded Molecular Microbiology, now the leading international microbiology journal, and served as Editor in Chief for 17 years.  He also served many years on the Editorial Boards of Cell and EMBO J. He has served on the Councils of BBSRC and the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Executive Board of the Association of Medical Research Charities, as a member of the Human Genetics Commission and as scientific advisor to the House of Lords Select Committee on Stem Cell Research, and as Chair of SEAC (Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee).  He has been a Board Member of ONE (RDA) and CELS (Centre for Excellence in Life Sciences).  He currently Chairs the Trustees of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain.