David Lomas

David Lomas is Professor of Respiratory Biology and Chair of Medicine at University College London (UCL), where he also serves as Vice Provost (Health) and Head of the UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences. He is Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Medical Research Council and Director of the UCL Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

Education

• Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Honours) in Biochemistry, University of Nottingham (1983)
• Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (Honours), University of Nottingham (1985)
• PhD, Trinity College, University of Cambridge (1993)
• ScD, Trinity College, University of Cambridge (2004)

Research Interests

Professor Lomas’s research spans Respiratory Medicine, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A central theme is the study of antitrypsin and the serpinopathies, exploring how mutations in serpins lead to protein misfolding and disease. His work integrates clinical observation with basic science to understand and ultimately prevent protein-misfolding disorders affecting the lung and other organs.

Scientific Awards & Honours

• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (1997)
• Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (2001)
• European Union Descartes Prize finalist (2001)
• GlaxoSmithKline Medal and Prize, UK Biochemical Society (2004)
• NIHR Senior Investigator (2014)
• Multiple teaching and research prizes from the Universities of Nottingham and Cambridge, the Royal College of Physicians, and other learned bodies.

Leadership & Service

Professor Lomas has held numerous national and international leadership roles, including Deputy Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Genomics England, Co-Chair of the MRC eMedLab bioinformatics consortium, and member of the Board of Directors of the Francis Crick Institute. He has served on scientific advisory boards for the COPD Foundation (USA), the Alpha-1 Foundation (USA) and the British Heart Foundation, and was President of the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland (2017–2018).