User:Belinda888/Professor David Kerr

Professor David Kerr CBE, MA MD DSc FRCP (Glas & Lon) FRCGP (Hon) FMedSci (born 1956, Glasgow)

Professor David Kerr is an international cancer specialist from the UK. His primary area of research is treatment and management of colorectal cancer.

He is currently the Chief Research Advisor, SIDRA; Director, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute; Member of Supreme Council of Health, Qatar and Professor of Cancer Medicine and former Fellow of Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford. He is also President-Elect for European Society of Medical Oncology (2009).

Kerr’s clinical research into adjuvant therapy of early stage colorectal cancer has contributed to saving thousands of lives over the past two decades.

Biography Professor David Kerr was born in Glasgow in 1956. He attended Dunard Street Primary School, Maryhill and Eastwood High Secondary School. He studied medicine and biochemistry at Glasgow University, graduating in 1980.

Professor Kerr knew from relatively early age that he wanted to be a doctor having read A J Cronin’s “The Citadel” as a child. He then went on to study medicine at Glasgow University and subsequently to become a cancer researcher combining laboratory studies with care of cancer patients. “The more differences we can see between the genetics of the normal and cancer cell, the more tools we can use against the cancer”, he says.

He undertook medical oncology training at the Department of Medical Oncology at the University of Glasgow where he worked with Professor S Kaye from April 1984 to February 1992.

From March 1992, David Kerr was Professor of Clinical Oncology at University of Birmingham and Director of Clinical Trials Unit where he and Professor Alan Rickinson built the Institute of Cancer Studies at the University.

In 1994, he became the Clinical Director of the Regional Cancer Task Force for the West Midlands where he developed the model for cancer services in the region which involve in writing a Cancer Plan - The “hub and spoke” Network model was developed to include four key elements:

•	Site specialisation by cancer surgeons and oncologists •	Multidisciplinary working •	Development of regional treatment guidelines (often precursor of national guidelines) •	Use of IT as a social glue to bind the Network together.

He undertook the first national audit of cancer waiting times for Sir Kenneth Calman, who was then Chief Medical Officer which was one of the drivers which led to the Government creating a National Cancer Plan.

In 2001, he was appointed Rhodes Professor  of Clinical Pharmacology and Cancer Therapeutics and Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Oxford. At the same time he was also asked by the Secertary of State for Health Alan Milburn to undertake a review of NHS research strategy into cancer. The resultant bluepint for provision of infrastructure to support clinical cancer research in the UK led to the establishment of the NHS Cancer Research Network (NCRN) and the National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC). Professor Kerr was subsequently appointed the Director of NTRAC. NTRAC served as a precursor for the other Department of Health innovations in forming research networks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health etc.

He subsequently worked with colleagues to build an Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cancer Treatment Centre in Oxford.

In 2004, Professor Kerr was invited by Scotland’s First Minister to chair the work of a National Framework Advisory Group to consider the future shape of the NHS in Scotland. This Group produced three volumes of work, “Building a Health Service Fit for the Future” (Vol I and II) and a web-based data link showing the Reports from the individual action teams. This has been adopted as the blueprint for Scotland’s NHS over the next 20 years.

In 2009, David Kerr took a leave of absence from Oxford University to become the Chief Research Advisor at the Sidra Medical and Research Center. In April 2009, he became a Member of the Supreme Council of Health, Qatar and is currently working on a National Health Plan for Qatar. He is also Director of Qatar Biomedical Research Institute which will house several of the world top translational biomedical research groups.

Kerr has made a substantial contribution to cancer care and research in Europe. He co-chaired the Anglo-French Scientific committee celebrating the centenary of the Entente-Cordiale (2004) after the Queen and President Chirac nominated cancer research as their joint theme. He has established the first Network of India’s top cancer centres, turning it into an internationally recognised trials network and has trained many young Indian oncologists.

He has brought world-wide attention to the looming epidemic of cancer which will claim the lives of more than a million Africans every year. He organised the first ever African Cancer Reform convention in London (2007). This was attended by 27 African Health ministries, led to the London Declaration calling for immediate action to develop cancer control plans for these nations. Subsequently Kerr was asked by African ministers to lead a new organisation, AfrOx to aid national cancer planning in Africa. AfrOx has already received unprecedented international support (WHO, IAEA) and is seen as a beacon to establish cancer care in Africa. He has completed a National Cancer Plan for Ghana, has been invited by the governments of Rwanda, Nigeria and Sierra Leone to lead their cancer plan activities, has initiated a mass vaccination programme for cervical cancer, the commonest cancer affecting African women, and is coordinating the International Oncology Association’s engagement in this field.

Awards

Bruce Cain Memorial Lecture, Cancer Society’s of Australia and New Zealand (2008)

Fulton Lecture, University of Glasgow (2007)

Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners

Distinguished Medeval Lecture, University of Manchester (2006)

European Society of Medical Oncology Award for distinguished contribution to Cancer therapy and research in Europe (2006)<ref http://www.worldgicancer.com/WCGI/WGIC2009/About%20ESMO.pdf

Appointed Commander of the British Empire (2002)

NHS Nye Bevan Award for Innovation (2000)

Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (2000)

2nd International Prize for Excellence in the field of Colorectal Cancer Research and Treatment – Awarded by International Drug Development Centre and European Association for Research into Gastrointestinal Cancer (1999)

Fellow of Royal College of Physicians, London (1996)

Fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow (1995)

European School of Oncology International Award for outstanding contribution to chemotherapy research (1987)

Editorial and publications

David Kerr has published over 350 papers in peer reviewed journals. His primary areas of research are: Colorectal Cancer and Gene Therapy. He has been awarded several patents which have fuelled in spin out biotech companies – Cobra Therapeutics and Celleron.

A list of publications can be found

He sits on a range of general editorial boards including Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology journal.

Other interests

Science diplomacy: Professor Kerr spoke at the New Frontiers in Science Diplomacy event and blogged on the Guardian about it.

External links

Sidra Afrox Indox Celleron Cobra Therapeutics