Neil Hanley

Neil Hanley is an Honorary Professor at the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Gastroenterology, University of Manchester, and serves as Director of Research & Innovation at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. He also holds an Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist role at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Professional memberships include the Association of Physicians (President, 2018-2019), the Society for Endocrinology (Council 2014-2018), and the Endocrine Society.

Neil graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1993 with an MBChB in Medicine and Surgery and a BSc Hons in Pharmacology. After clinical training and MRCP, he completed a PhD in Molecular Genetics at Newcastle as a Wellcome Clinical Training Fellow, followed by postdoctoral work at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He joined the University of Southampton in 2000, earning a personal Chair in 2006 and transitioning to the University of Manchester in 2008.

His research centers on human developmental biology and stem cell biology, with a focus on embryogenesis and early fetal organ formation. This foundation led to collaborative work on organ fibrosis, particularly liver disease, where developmental mechanisms inform pathological processes. Recent publications highlight studies on HAND1 in cardiac progenitor specification, gene regulatory networks in liver fibrosis, and health inequality trends in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Scientific recognition includes a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship in Clinical Science and Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians. He co-authored the NIHR's 2017 Strategic Review of Training and served on MRC and NIHR panels. As founder of the Faculty's Fellowship Academy, he manages ~100 externally funded fellows from UKRI, NIHR, and Wellcome Trust.

Neil's leadership extends to directing Manchester's first NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and overseeing a £50M annual research budget at the largest NHS Trust in the UK. He co-authored the textbook Essential Endocrinology & Diabetes, which has sold over 8,000 copies globally, and actively teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate endocrinology courses.