Professor Sir Michael FergusonCBE FRS FRSE FMedSci FRSB
Interim Dean
Life Sciences Office, School of Life Sciences
Regius Professor of Life Sciences
Academic Lead for Research Strategy
Contact
Websites
Biography
Mike Ferguson is Regius Professor of Life Sciences in the School of Life Sciences. On 5 November 2021, he was elected as an academic member of Staff Council to serve a four-year term on Court, running to 31 July 2025.
Mike Ferguson obtained a PhD in Biochemistry (1982) at London University. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Rockefeller University, New York, with George Cross FRS and at Oxford University with Raymond Dwek FRS. He took up a lectureship at The University of Dundee in 1988 and was promoted to a personal chair in Molecular Parasitology in 1994 and was appointed the first Regius Professor of Life Sciences in 2013.
He has published over 250 peer reviewed research papers and is known for solving the first structures of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchors, which play important roles throughout eukaryotic biology.
His research takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the biochemistry of protozoan parasites that cause tropical diseases, particularly the trypanosomatids that cause human African Sleeping Sickness, Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis. He believes in the fundamental importance of working across the Biology / Chemistry interface and is particularly interested in Translational Research. Together with his colleagues, he was instrumental in establishing the Drug Discovery Unit at the University of Dundee and he is a member of the Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research. He is also co-Director of the successful Dundee Proteomics Facility.
Mike was Dean of Research for Life Sciences from 2007-2014 and continues to play a role in Research Strategy. He led the construction of the Discovery Centre for Translational and Interdisciplinary Research and is co-lead on the Growing the Tay Cities BioMedical Cluster component of the Tay Cities Deal. Mike was a member (2012-2017) and then Deputy Chair (2018-2021) of the Wellcome Trust Board of Governors. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) (2012-present) and UK Biobank (2022-present). He is a Fellow of the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a member of EMBO. He was knighted in 2019 for services to science. Mike is currently joint Interim Dean of the School of Life Sciences.
Declared Interests
| Declared Interests | Declaration |
|---|---|
| Start date on Court | 1 August 2021 |
| Employment | Consultancy with GSK to participate in the biennial scientific advisory board for Open Targets at the European Bioinformatics Institute. Consultancy with Medicines Discovery Catapult on their joint programme (PACE) with LifARC on anti-microbial resistance. |
| Directorships | Non-exec director for: Medicines for Malaria Venture (Geneva) – ends December 2024 UK Biobank Phaser Bio Medicines Discovery Catapult, Manchester – starts January 2025 |
| Other pecuniary interests | Co-founder and minor shareholder in UoD spinout Amphista Therapeutics |
| Any other disclosure | Member of UKRI ICSAG (infrastructure and capital advisory group). Chair of British Heart Foundation ‘Big Beat Challenge’ Cure Heart project monitoring group. |
| Related parties | None |
| Register Last Updated | 2024 |
Media availability
I am available for media commentary on my research.
Professor Sir Michael is an expert on the biochemistry of protozoan parasites, the molecular details of infection in general and on drug discovery for infectious and non-infectious diseases. He serves on the boards of the Medicines for Malaria Venture and UK Biobank and previously of the Wellcome Trust.
Contact Corporate Communications for media enquiries.
Areas of expertise
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Infectious diseases
- Medicines
Awards
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / Biochemical Society Morton Lecture | 2024 |
| Innovation and Knowledge Exchange awards / Knowledge Exchange Champion at Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards | 2024 |
| National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / Honorary Membership of British Society for Parasitology | 2022 |
| Knight Bachelor of the British Empire | 2019 |
| Honorary Degrees / Doctor of Science (DSc), University of St Andrews | 2017 |
| National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / Royal Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh | 2013 |
| Major Personal Funding Awards / Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award | 2013 |
| Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology | 2009 |
| Commander of the British Empire (CBE) | 2008 |
| Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences | 2007 |
| National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / CA Wright Memorial Medal of the British Society for Parasitology | 2006 |
| Fellow of the Royal Society | 2000 |
| International Science Prizes awarded since 1990 / The International Glycoconjugate Prize, Tokyo, Japan | 1999 |
| Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation | 1999 |
| National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / Makdougall Brisbane Prize of The Royal Society of Edinburgh | 1996 |
| Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh | 1994 |
| International Science Prizes awarded since 1990 / Howard Hughes International Scholarships | 1993 |
| National Sciences Prizes awarded since 1990 / The Colworth Medal of the British Biochemical Society | 1991 |
Stories
News
It has been ten years since the Discovery Centre opened. Professor Sir Mike Ferguson looks back at how the Centre came to fruition and what has taken place since then.
Press release
The University of Dundee’s outstanding success in innovation in the Health and Life Sciences sector received further recognition with wins at two major national awards ceremonies
Press release
Scotland’s First Minister has visited a multi-million pound centre that will build on Dundee’s standing as a world leader in health and life sciences research.