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.
Do you know an extraordinary person?
Tell us who you think is an extraordinary person - and why they are an Edinburgh Innovator. Email your suggestions.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
