Professor Chris Whitty is a clinical epidemiologist currently serving as Chief Medical Officer for England.
His early research work was into infectious diseases and their prevention and treatment in several countries in Africa and Asia. He worked in particular on malaria, but also other serious infections and syndromes in adults and children. He was Professor of Public and International Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and director of the Malaria Centre.
Chris has also worked at the science-policy interface in government, including as Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) at the Department for International Development (DFID), at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and as interim Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). In these roles he provided science advice in emergencies including COVID-19, Ebola, chemical and geophysical emergencies. He directed the multidisciplinary research programmes in DFID and was head of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). His science communication includes during COVID-19 and online lectures as Gresham Professor of Physic.
Subject groups
- Health and human sciences
Clinical epidemiology, Medicine, clinical studies
- Other
Science policy
Awards
Royal Medals
Joint with Sir Patrick Vallance KCB FMedSci FRS for their pivotal role in ensuring that the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has benefitted from the very best science and evidence.
