Extraordinary People
The University of Edinburgh is an extraordinary place, where our extraordinary people make ideas work for a better world. Discover our extraordinary people and be inspired to innovate.
The Edinburgh Innovators
The University of Edinburgh is an extraordinary place, full of extraordinary people making a positive impact on all our communities.
At Edinburgh Innovations, we help researchers, students, governments and our industry partners drive innovation.
We celebrate all the extraordinary people at this University for their excellence, ambition and the positive impacts they have made on individuals, communities, societies and our world.
We will be spotlighting just some of the extraordinary people we’ve had the pleasure and privilege of working with. Keep visiting this space as we spotlight more of our extraordinary people.
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Lorraine Kerr
Lorraine Kerr is Director of Strategic Partnerships, North America and Global at Edinburgh Innovations, and Chancellor’s Award winner for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of her proactive approach to supporting staff and her stewardship of some of the University’s important partnerships.
Stephen Wallace
Stephen Wallace is Professor of Chemical Biotechnology in the School of Biological Sciences and group leader of the Wallace Lab at the Centre for Engineering Biology.
Dipa Roy
Dr Dipa Roy is Reader in Composite Materials and Processing in the School of Engineering, and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Tsz-Yan Milly Lo
Dr Tsz-Yan Milly Lo is a Consultant Paediatric Intensivist at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Research Lead for Paediatric Critical Care Medicine, NRS Career Research Clinician, and an Honorary Reader at the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, and Child Life and Health.
Jonathan Fallowfield
Professor Jonathan Fallowfield is Chair of Translational Liver Research at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Inflammation Research, and Honorary Consultant Hepatologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Sofia Ferreira Gonzalez
Dr Sofia Ferreira Gonzalez is Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and co-founder of the interdisciplinary SensiBile research project, which is developing a revolutionary biomedical device for non-invasive liver transplant viability testing.
Shannon Vallor
Shannon Vallor holds the Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, and is Director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Gbenga Ibikunle
Gbenga Ibikunle is Professor and Chair of Finance at the University of Edinburgh Business School and Director for Industry, Economy and Society at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Melissa Terras
A leading international figure in the field of Digital Humanities, Melissa Terras is Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage, Founding Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Data, Culture and Society, Director of Research at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, and Co-Director of Creative Informatics.
Tanja Romankiewicz
Dr Tanja Romankiewicz is Chancellor’s Fellow in Archaeology, Research Affiliate at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, Co-Lead on the Cultural Heritage research theme in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), and Archaeology’s Director of Research.
Christine Tait-Burkard
Dr Christine Tait-Burkard is a group leader at The Roslin Institute and an expert on coronaviruses and arteriviruses. Her research group is using genome editing to produce pigs resistant to the PRRS virus, the world’s most costly infectious disease affecting the species.
Gregor Gorjanc
Dr Gregor Gorjanc leads of the HighlanderLab at The Roslin Institute. This extraordinary person is developing genetic solutions to help tackle global environmental and food supply challenges.
Konrad Rawlik
Dr Konrad Rawlik is a Research Fellow and Data Curation Project Analyst at The University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and one of the key people behind Omecu, a disruptive commercial platform which will change how genomic, and other medical data is accessed.
Tom Wishart
Dr Tom Wishart is Reader in Molecular Anatomy at The Roslin Institute. This extraordinary person is making crucial advancements in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases.
Mike McGrew
Dr Mike McGrew is Chair of Avian Biotechnologies at the Roslin Institute. This extraordinary person is making crucial advancements to identify the genes that are important for healthy birds and to protect and conserve bird species.
Tilo Kunath
Dr Tilo Kunath, a Group Leader, Reader in Regenerative Neurobiology in the School of Biological Sciences. This extraordinary person is making crucial advancements in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
Susan Rosser
Susan Rosser is Professor of Synthetic Biology, a joint appointment between the School of Biological Sciences and School of Engineering.
Sean Smith
Innovative and determined from a young age, it is no surprise that Sean has become Professor of Future Construction at the School of Engineering and Director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Joyce Tait
Unconventional, disruptive and interdisciplinary, Joyce is Co-Director of the Innogen Institute, which she co-created in 2002 to implement a user-focused approach to innovation regulation, risk governance and stakeholder engagement.