Martyn Pickersgill
Personal Chair of the Sociology of Science and Medicine | Co-Head of Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society
- Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society
- Usher Institute
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Contact details
Address
- Street
-
Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society
Usher Institute, Usher Building
The University of Edinburgh
5-7 Little France Road
Edinburgh BioQuarter ‒ Gate 3 - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH16 4UX
Background
Martyn Pickersgill is a professor in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, where he holds a Personal Chair in the Sociology of Science and Medicine. He conducts research, teaching, and engagement in the social dimensions of biomedicine. In 2018, he co-founded the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society through seed and continuing funding of over £2m from the Wellcome Trust, and is currently Co-Head of the Centre. In 2020, he also became Co-Director of a new £5.3m Wellcome Trust PhD Programme in 'One Health Animal Models of Disease: Science, Ethics and Society', which brings together expertise from the social and biomedical sciences. Martyn was previously a founding Associate Director of the SKAPE Centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy. He is part of the Senior Leadership Team for the Usher Institute, and has served as Director of Research.
Martyn's research has focused in particular on the sociologies of epigenetics, neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology. This has been supported through a range of funders, including the AHRC, ESRC, MRC Leverhulme Trust, Newby Trust, and Wellcome Trust. As PI/Co-PI/Co-I, Martyn has contributed to raising over £23m (US$31m) in external funds. He was awarded the Henry Duncan Medal by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) in 2015, and elected to the UK Academy of Social Sciences in 2021. Martyn contributes widely to committees and panels nationally and internationally, and has a variety of editorial board roles. He has advised on strategy for various funders, including as a member of the ESRC Strategic Advisory Network. Martyn is also committed to public engagement of different kinds, and has participated in and co-organised a range of events and activities within and beyond the UK. Alongside involvement in Cross-Parliamentary Groups, his policy roles include membership of the Scottish Science Advisory Council - the highest level science advisory body in Scotland, providing independent advice and recommendations on science strategy, policy, and priorities to the Scottish Government.