Sir Keith Peters
GBE, Sc.D., FRCP, FRS, FMedSci

Sir Keith Peters is Emeritus Regius Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge, where he was also head of the School of Clinical Medicine. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and fellow and past president of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

As interim director of the MRC’s National Institute for Medical Research, he played a key role in the creation of the Francis Crick Institute, which opened in London last year. The Crick has a specific remit to promote translational research and to develop links with industry.

Sir Keith’s industry experience includes membership of The Board of Advisers to Merck Research Laboratories (1995-2005) and Senior Consultant in R&D to GlaxoSmithKline from 2005-2016. In the biotech sector, he was a longstanding member of the scientific advisory board of Cambridge Antibody Technology.

Prior to working in industry, Sir Keith held a number of academic appointments, including posts at the University of Birmingham, the National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill and the Welsh National School of Medicine. He was also lecturer in medicine and consultant physician at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (RPMS), Hammersmith Hospital. Between 1969 and 1975, he was successively lecturer in medicine, lecturer in medicine and immunology and reader in medicine, before being appointed professor of medicine and director of the Department of Medicine at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School.

Sir Keith’s personal research has focused on autoimmunity, especially diseases of kidney and blood vessels, with emphasis on innovative treatments for these conditions. He earned his medical degree from the Welsh National School of Medicine.