Professor Sir Alex Markham

Biography

Alex has made contributions to medical science in various fields, is accredited in pathology and internal medicine and trained initially in medicinal chemistry. His commercial experience includes cancer drug development and the introduction of DNA fingerprinting for forensic and medico-legal applications, which was recognised by the Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement in 1990.

A Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Professor Markham has previously served as Chairman of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) in the UK and has been a member of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration Board and the National Institute of Health Research Advisory Board. He was a member of the government’s Cancer Reform Strategy Advisory Board, has chaired the National Institute for Medical Research (MRC) and Wellcome Trust committees and was a trustee of Arthritis Research UK. He chaired the Translational Medicine Board for MRC and NIHR under the auspices of the Occupational Safety & Health Consultants Register (OSCHR).

Professor Markham was Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK until 2007. He then returned to academic work at Leeds University. He received a knighthood in the 2008 New Year’s Honours for services to medicine.