He has extensive experience of university innovation driving regional economic growth. This includes cross-sector developments both in Northern Ireland and England, and specifically the Belfast Region City Deal Innovation Pillar, driving innovation in key sectors for the local economy, such as health innovation, data science & analytics, and advanced manufacturing.
He is passionate about the importance of social responsibility and inclusion to the University’s mission, particularly widening participation, diversity and inclusion and civic engagement. He is a strong advocate for collaboration across and between sectors. His leadership has developed or expanded partnerships across the island of Ireland, the UK, the Middle East and the USA. He is a past President of Universities Ireland, promoting collaboration across the island, a member of the British Council’s Education Advisory Group, Founder of both the Health Innovation Research Alliance, Northern Ireland (HIRANI) and the Northern Health Science Alliance, and non-executive Director of Dubai Academic Health Corporation. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast.
By way of background, he is a medical graduate of the University of Glasgow, with his research and clinical career in obstetrics & gynaecology, where he was recognised as an international authority on pregnancy complications, particularly thrombotic problems. He has published over 400 Publications including 14 Books and 28 Clinical Guidelines He has held senior leadership positions in several UK Universities, and was Vice-President of the University of Manchester, immediately before moving to Queen’s. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the King’s Birthday Honours 2023 for services to education and the economy.