Search
Prof. Alexander Markham
EACS Governing Board Members
Board member
Prof Sir Alex Markham trained initially in medicinal chemistry with a PhD from the University of Birmingham UK, postdoctoral positions in Japan and London, and research jobs in Pharma with GD Searle then ICI Pharmaceuticals (now part of AstraZeneca). There he first became interested in cancer therapeutics. He was a contributor to early developments in molecular biology and genetics. This eventually led to his decision to retrain in medicine in the 1980s.
Since then his career has involved integration of his scientific and clinical interests, across the academic, charity and commercial sectors. He has made discoveries in cancer genetics as well as contributing to AstraZeneca’s cancer drug portfolio. In 1993 he became Professor of Medicine in Leeds UK and over the following decade chaired major UK research funding committees for the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, British Heart Foundation and Arthritis Research UK. In 2003 he became the first CEO of the then newly formed Cancer Research UK. After a successful 5 year term, he has continued to combine medical research with leadership roles in the UK (UK Biobank, Health Data Research UK, inter alia) and eight other countries, to date. A particular focus has remained his scientific and clinical advisory roles in Germany, with the Deutsche Krebshilfe and various Federal Government bodies.
