Professor Gow’s research career has been in the field of fungal biology and medical mycology. He is known for his discoveries in fungal biology and genetics, morphogenesis and pathogenesis. His studies of how the cell walls of fungal pathogenic species is assembled, responds to antifungal antibiotics and is recognised by the human immune system directly impacts on the design and use of antifungal drugs, diagnostics and immunotherapies for fungal diseases.

He trained at Edinburgh, Aberdeen and in Denver before returning to Aberdeen, where he developed and nurtured a team that became an MRC Centre for Medical Mycology and helped coordinate UK training and research in medical mycology. He has acted as President of the British Mycological Society, the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology and the Microbiology Society. In 2018 he moved to the University of Exeter to become DVC for Research and Impact.

Professor Gow was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the American Academy of Microbiology and was awarded an Honorary DSc from the University of Kent.