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Board of Trustees

Professor David Latchman CBE, MA PhD DSc FRCPath FRSA

Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor David Latchman, CBE, is a leading UK university academic, author, and philanthropist. He served as Master of Birkbeck and Professor of Genetics for 16 years.

He obtained a BA with first class honours in Natural Sciences, specialising in Genetics, from the University of Cambridge in 1978 and was awarded a PhD in 1981 and a DSc in 1994. 

After academic posts in the Departments of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology at UCL he was appointed to the Chair of Human Genetics at UCL and became Dean of the Institute of Child Health in 1999. 

As well as serving as Head of a University College in his management capacity,  he has served on a number of charitable and scientific committees including CBI London Council, National DNA Database Ethics Group, London First Board, London Higher (representing the interests of London’s higher education institutions) where he served as Chair serving the maximum of two terms of office.

He has published extensively in the field of Genetics and Molecular Biology and has significant experience of the commercial exploitation of intellectual property, having obtained Venture capital to found a company (BioVex) on the basis of patents developed by his laboratory. This company was ultimately sold to Amgen Ltd. Its anti-cancer virus therapy has received FCA approval for marketing in the USA.

Prof Latchman has contributed opinion pieces advocating lifelong learning and served on Lifelong Learning Commission at Respublica as well as the DfE Lifelong Learning Entitlement Steering group convened by the Department for Education.

He is Chairman and Trustee of the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation and a Trustee of the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Philanthropic Foundation.

He was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday’s Honours of 2010 for services to Higher Education.