Professor Heather Wallace

Chair of Medical Research Scotland

I am a Professor Emerita of Biochemical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Aberdeen, and my research interests are in cancer therapeutics and prevention, and selective drug delivery. My teaching covers toxicology, bio-business, pharmacology, drug discovery and cancer biology for postgraduate and undergraduate students at the University of Aberdeen, and trainees in toxicology internationally.

I was appointed as Chair of Medical Research Scotland in 2022 after becoming a Trustee in 2017. I was attracted to the charity and its mission to develop the careers of biomedical scientists and, in particular, the focus on collaboration, especially with industry. Having worked in collaboration with industry, I am a strong believer in preparing graduates for the real world and I think it is essential that graduates have an appreciation of the commercial side of healthcare and the discovery and development of medicines.

It is a privilege to contribute to the mission of Medical Research Scotland and to help to develop the researchers of the future. As Chair, a key aspect of my role is to strategically develop and effectively deliver the goals of the charity and help ensure good decision making.