Professor Sir Christopher Edwards was Principal of Imperial College School of Medicine in London from 1995 to 2001 and previously held a number of senior posts as a Professor at Edinburgh University.

 

He was President of the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland from 1999 to 2000; chaired the Council of Heads of Medical Schools from 1998 to 2000 and was a governor of the WellcomeTrust.

 

Sir Christopher was  Vice-Chancellor of University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne from 2001 to 2008 as part of which he led major developments such as Newcastle Science City, the Cultural Quarter and a £200m investment programme in the University campus and facilities.

 

Sir Christopher recognised the key role that higher education could play in the growth of North East England's knowledge economy and became actively involved in regional economic development, joining the boards of One NorthEast (the regional development agency), The Newcastle Gateshead Initiative and the International Centre for Life.

 

He was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2008. 

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