History

Professor David Harrison is Professor and Head of Division of Pathology in the University of Edinburgh, Honorary Consultant Pathologist in Lothian University Hospitals Division and Director of the Breakthrough Research Unit, Edinburgh. He was Director of the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre before its inclusion into the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, and he is now a Board member of the latter. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

His research interests are in cell injury and death, and their genetic regulation, in health and disease. In addition he is interested in computational systems biology, and how this nascent field can be applied meaningfully to breast cancer research.

His other main area of interest is education, in particular using distance learning and blended learning for postgraduate training. He holds Adjunct Professorships in University of Florida, Gainesville and University of Canberra.

He is a member of the Cancer Research UK Strategic Advisory Group and sits on several grant giving bodies. In his spare time he chairs a charity that owns and runs a hospital and nursing school in the Middle East.