Prof Mark Ferguson to lead Science Foundation Ireland

Ferguson will take up the position on 16 January 2012. The appointment is for a five-year term and follows an international recruitment process.

Ferguson has been an academic for 30 years and a co-founder of Renovo, a biotechnology company developing novel pharmaceutical therapies to prevent scarring and accelerate wound healing.

“Prof Ferguson’s track record over the past three decades has been one of continued excellence in both the academic and commercial spheres, and his arrival marks the start of a new stage in SFI’s journey,” said SFI chairperson Prof Pat Fottrell.

 “We live in exciting times for science, where endeavour and ingenuity are making a notable impact on the world around us,” said Ferguson. “Through determination, sustained investment and the convergence of expertise across scientific, engineering and commercial disciplines, Ireland has leaped up the international rankings for its quality of research output.

“I am relishing the opportunity of working closely with SFI’s board, staff, esteemed research community, commercial and other partners, to help continue this level of progress and influence. I am passionate about science, its commercial exploitation and its societal and economic benefits.”

Born in Northern Ireland, Ferguson is a graduate of Queens University of Belfast, with degrees in dentistry (BDS 1st class honours), anatomy and embryology (BSc 1st class honours, PhD) and medical sciences (DMedSc). He holds fellowships from the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in Ireland (FFD) and Edinburgh (FDS) and is a founding fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).

He was appointed professor in life sciences at the University of Manchester in 1984, at the age of 28. He is current honorary professor of life sciences at the university.

His research interests include cellular and molecular mechanisms in scarring and wound healing, developmental mechanisms in normal and cleft palate formation, alligator and crocodile biology. He discovered scar free embryonic wound healing and temperature dependent sex determination in alligators and crocodiles.

He has served on the boards of a number of international biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

He has received numerous international awards, prizes, medals and honours for his research. In 1999, he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth for services to health and life sciences.