Seshadri Srini Vasan

Professor Vasan, who goes by his surname, is Director of R&D and Deputy Caldicott Guardian for NHS Grampian (Scotland), and Honorary Professor of Medical and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University (Australia) and University of York (England).

He is also Community Health Index Management Board Member, InnoScot Health Non-Executive Director, NHS Research Scotland Management Board Member, Opportunity Northeast Life Sciences Board Member, Precision Medicine Scotland Board Member, and Public Benefit and Privacy Panel Tier 2 Member. He got his master of public health from Manchester, doctorate from Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, and is a European Specialist in Laboratory Medicine (registration number 16471).

He has three decades of experience across academic, public and private sector organisations across Australia, India, Malaysia, UK and USA, the last 15 years on infectious diseases (chikungunya, COVID-19, dengue, ebola, zika) at the level of Professor/Director. He led the COVID-19 preclinical response for Australia’s national science agency, winning the highest honour (Chairman’s Medal) for his team of 92 for validating the Oxford-AZ vaccine before it entered human trials.

He also won the 2015 Research Councils UK team award for ebola response, and the 2018 BritishExpertise international healthcare team award for zika and ebola response. Previously he was Director of Research and Innovation for Western Australia’s health system, Delivery Director for NHS South Central & West, Innovation Lead for Public Health England and its predecessor Health Protection Agency, Deputy Incident Director for the National Incident Coordination Centre, Head of Public Health for Oxford University spinout Oxitec, and a Consultant with McKinsey & Company.