Committee Members

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Professor Chris Higgins (Chair)

Professor Chris Higgins is Director of the Medical Research Council’s Clinical Sciences Centre and Head of Division at Imperial College London. He has a high international standing in the biological and medical sciences and has held previous positions at the University of Dundee, the University of Oxford and the University of California, Berkeley, USA. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the European Molecular Biology Organisation and is a Founder Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He has been a Member of Council of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, on the Governing Council of the John Innes Centre, and on the Council of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He has received the Howard Hughes International Research Scholarship, the Fleming Medal of the Society of General Microbiology and the CIBA Medal of the Biochemical Society.

Professor Higgins has extensive experience of chairing both academic and research committees and has served as a scientific advisor to the House of Lords Select Committee on Stem Cells. He is experienced and accomplished at communicating scientifically challenging issues to the media and general public. Professor Higgins was appointed as Chair of SEAC on 1st August 2004.

Mr Peter Jinman (Deputy Chair)

Mr. Peter Jinman is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and is senior partner of Jinman and Partners Veterinary Practice in Herefordshire working with farm, equine and companion animals. He is a Past President of the British Veterinary Association, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the BBC's Rural Affairs Advisory Committee. Peter Jinman brings to the Committee 25 years’ experience of handling agricultural veterinary issues, including BSE and scrapie. He has been a member of SEAC since May 2000.

Mr. John Bassett

Mr. John Bassett is a risk assessor, specialising in microbiology, at the Unilever Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre. Before working for Unilever, Mr Bassett worked for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority where he was a National Adviser specialising in risk assessment. A qualified veterinarian, Mr Bassett also spent seven years as a practising vet.

Professor David Brown

Professor David Brown is a lecturer in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath. He is a recognised and respected expert on TSEs, who has worked in the field of prion disease research for the past 10 years in both Germany and the UK. Professor Brown is currently a member of the Medical Research Council’s Advisory Board.

Professor Nigel Hooper

Professor Nigel Hooper is Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Leeds and Deputy Director of the Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics. He is involved in basic research on the prion protein and on neurodegenerative diseases. Professor Hooper was a member of the Medical Research Council Neurosciences and Mental Health Board and of the Medical Research Council / Department of Health Research Advisory Group for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies.

Professor Corinne Lasmezas

Professor Lasmezas was head of the Laboratory for Prion Pathogenesis at the Service de Neurovirologie in France, from 2002 until 2005. In June 2005 she was appointed professor in the Department of Infectology at the Scripps Research Institute, Florida, USA. Professor Lasmezas has extensive experience of government committee work including sitting on committees for the French Food Agency and for the Scientific Board of the French Department of Health. She brings many years of relevant experience to SEAC.

Professor Jean Manson

Professor Jean Manson is Head of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) division and Neuropathogenesis Unit at the Institute for Animal Health (IAH). Professor Manson has been involved with research on TSEs for the last 14 years at IAH and is currently a member of the World Health Organisation Working Group on the Diagnosis and Study of TSEs.

Ms. Diane McCrea

Ms. Diane McCrea is an independent consultant on food and consumer affairs. Her work focuses on consumer issues and issues of food safety, food labelling, consumer information and the consumer input into regulatory affairs. Ms. McCrea is a member of the Food Standards Agency's Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs and the Agency’s Advisory Committee on Research. Ms. McCrea is also a member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council's Governing Body of the Institute of Food Research.

Professor Graham Medley

Professor Graham Medley is a Professor and Head of the Ecology and Epidemiology Research Group in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Warwick. Professor Medley has worked in the area of infectious disease epidemiology since 1983.

Professor James Nicoll

Professor James Nicoll is Professor of Neuropathology at the University of Southampton and Consultant Neuropathologist at Southampton General Hospital. Professor Nicoll is an expert in the field of neurodegeneration and has considerable experience of clinical neuropathology.

Professor Margaret Stanley

Professor Margaret Stanley is Professor in Epithelial Biology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge. Professor Stanley is a recognised expert in the pathogenesis of infectious disease in humans and animals, with an international reputation for her research into papillomaviruses. Professor Stanley is experienced at providing expert advice having served as a member of scientific advisory boards in both the private and public sectors in the United States and in Europe.

Professor Alun Williams

Professor Alun Williams is the Head of Pathology and Infectious
Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London. He is a
veterinary surgeon and research pathologist with over 15 years' research
experience in TSEs, particularly in the cellular and molecular aspects
of neurodegeneration in these diseases.

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Page last updated: 26 February, 2007