22 November 2024 – Prof Gil McVean, New President

Prof Gil McVean Presedent of Genetics Society 2025

The Genetics Society is proud to welcome Prof Gil McVean as the new President, beginning his four-year term in January 2025.

Biography

Gil McVean is Principal Scientist at the Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford, working to drive innovation and delivery in the use of genomic data to address some of the greatest challenges facing society.

Previously, Gil was Founder and President of Genomics, a spin-out from Oxford University, that uses vast genomic resources to provide the services and products to support drug development and improve health care through enhanced prevention and early detection.

With a background in genomics, statistics and evolutionary biology, Gil has played a leading role in driving the science and application of population-scale genomics. He had central roles in the International HapMap and 1000 Genomes Projects, and has worked with academic, industrial, and clinical organisations across the world. He was the founding director of the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute and has worked on challenges from dissecting the molecular basis of pathogenesis in multiple sclerosis, to the genomic surveillance of malaria and the causes of recombination. He is an author of over 200 papers, and has supervised over 35 postgraduate students.

Gil’s contributions to science have been recognised through election as a fellow to both the Royal Society (2016) and the Academy of Medical Sciences (2016). He won the Francis Crick Prize in 2010 and was awarded the Weldon Memorial Prize in 2012.

“It is a hugely exciting time to be taking over the presidency of the Genetics Society. The fields of genetics and genomics are making an ever greater impact on society, with applications ranging from disease prevention, to the development of new medicines, the response to emerging pandemics and the preservation of biodiversity in the face of a changing climate. These advances are only possible because of the incredible depths of foundational research within the UK and the international collaborations we are engaged with. The Genetics Society plays a key role in helping this community come together to disseminate scientific advances, train the next generation and engage with the public, policy-makers and wider stakeholders both nationally and internationally.”

Gill McVean