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David Kerr (oncologist)

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Professor David Kerr CBE, MA MD DSc FRCP (Glas & Lon) FRCGP (Hon) FMedSci (born 1956, Glasgow)[1] is a British cancer researcher. His primary area of research is treatment and management of colorectal cancer.[2]

He has recently resigned as the Chief Research Advisor, Sidra Medical and Research Center in Doha, Qatar. Kerr is no longer Director, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute; His role as a Member of Supreme Council of Health, Qatar has been allocated to Lord Darzi. Kerr is Professor of Cancer Medicine and former Fellow of Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford.[3] He is also President-Elect for European Society for Medical Oncology (2009).[4]

Kerr’s clinical research into adjuvant therapy of early stage colorectal cancer has contributed to saving thousands of lives over the past two decades.[5]

Early life and education

Kerr was born in Glasgow in 1956. He attended Dunard Street Primary School, Maryhill and Eastwood High Secondary School. Knowing from a relatively early age that he wanted to become a doctor having read A. J. Cronin’s The Citadel as a child, he went on to study biochemistry and medicine at Glasgow University, and subsequently became an oncologic clinician scientist[6] following specialist & fellowship training within the Department of Medical Oncology at the University of Glasgow under Professor S. Kaye (1984-1992).[1]

Career

From March 1992, Kerr was Professor of Clinical Oncology at University of Birmingham and Director of Clinical Trials Unit where he and Professor Alan Rickinson built the Institute of Cancer Studies at the University.[7]

In 1994, he became the Clinical Director of the Regional Cancer Task Force for the West Midlands[1] where he developed the model for cancer services in the region which involve in writing a Cancer Plan - The “hub and spoke” Network model was developed to include four key elements:

  • Site specialisation by cancer surgeons and oncologists
  • Multidisciplinary working
  • Development of regional treatment guidelines (often precursor of national guidelines)
  • Use of IT as a social glue to bind the Network together.

He undertook the first national audit of cancer waiting times for Sir Kenneth Calman, who was then Chief Medical Officer which was one of the drivers which led to the Government creating a National Cancer Plan.[1][8]

In 2001, he was appointed Rhodes Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Cancer Therapeutics[9] and Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Oxford. At the same time he was also asked by the Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn to undertake a review of NHS research strategy into cancer.[10] The resultant blueprint for provision of infrastructure to support clinical cancer research in the UK led to the establishment of the NHS Cancer Research Network (NCRN)[11] and the National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC). Kerr was subsequently appointed the Director of NTRAC.[12]

He subsequently worked with colleagues to build an Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cancer Treatment Centre in Oxford.

In 2004, Kerr was invited by Scotland’s First Minister to chair the work of a National Framework Advisory Group to consider the future shape of the NHS in Scotland. This Group produced three volumes of work, “Building a Health Service Fit for the Future” (Vol I and II) and a web-based data link showing the Reports from the individual action teams.[13] This has been adopted as the blueprint for Scotland’s NHS over the next 20 years.

In 2009, David Kerr took a leave of absence from Oxford University to become the Chief Research Advisor at the Sidra Medical and Research Center. In April 2009, he became a Member of the Supreme Council of Health. He is no longer working for Sidra having moved back to the UK Kerr has made a substantial contribution to cancer care and research in Europe. He co-chaired the Anglo-French Scientific committee celebrating the centenary of the Entente-Cordiale (2004) after the Queen and President Chirac nominated cancer research as their joint theme. He has established the first Network of India’s top cancer centres, turning it into an internationally recognised trials network and has trained many young Indian oncologists.[citation needed]

He has brought worldwide attention to the looming epidemic of cancer which will claim the lives of more than a million Africans every year.[14] He organised the first ever African Cancer Reform convention in London (2007).[15] This was attended by 27 African Health ministries, led to the London Declaration calling for immediate action to develop cancer control plans for these nations.[16] Subsequently Kerr was asked by African ministers to lead a new organisation, AfrOx to aid national cancer planning in Africa. AfrOx has already received unprecedented international support (WHO, IAEA) and is seen as a beacon to establish cancer care in Africa. He has completed a National Cancer Plan for Ghana, has been invited by the governments of Rwanda, Nigeria and Sierra Leone to lead their cancer plan activities, has initiated a mass vaccination programme for cervical cancer, the commonest cancer affecting African women, and is coordinating the International Oncology Association’s engagement in this field.

Kerr spoke at the New Frontiers in Science Diplomacy event[17] and blogged on the Guardian[18] about it.

Published works

Kerr has published over 350 papers in peer reviewed journals. His primary areas of research are: Colorectal Cancer and Gene Therapy. He has been awarded several patents which have fuelled in spin out biotech companies – Cobra Therapeutics[19] and Celleron.[20]

He sits on a number of general editorial boards including Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology journal.

Awards

  • 1987: European School of Oncology International Award for outstanding contribution to chemotherapy research[21]
  • 1995: Fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow
  • 1996: Fellow of Royal College of Physicians, London
  • 1999: 2nd International Prize for Excellence in the field of Colorectal Cancer Research and Treatment – Awarded by International Drug Development Centre and European Association for Research into Gastrointestinal Cancer[21]
  • 2000: Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences[22]
  • 2000: NHS Nye Bevan Award for Innovation [23]
  • 2002: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire[22]
  • 2006: European Society for Medical Oncology Award for distinguished contribution to Cancer therapy and research in Europe[21]
  • 2006: Distinguished Medieval Lecture, University of Manchester
  • 2007: Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners[24]
  • 2007: Fulton Lecture, University of Glasgow
  • 2008: Bruce Cain Memorial Lecture, Cancer Societies of Australia and New Zealand

References

  1. ^ a b c d http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/10/9/1001.pdf
  2. ^ http://www.sidra.org/files/pdf/3-2009%20Top%20cancer%20expert%20joins%20Sidra%20as%20chief%20adviser.pdf
  3. ^ http://www.sidra.org/page2278.htm
  4. ^ http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/suppl_8/viii4.pdf
  5. ^ Lancet, 370(9604):2020-9. 2007; The Lancet, 355, 1588-96 (2000)
  6. ^ http://www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk/2007-08/v20n1/01.shtml
  7. ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmsctech/332/332ap58.htm
  8. ^ British Medical Journal 320, 838-839.
  9. ^ http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/2000-1/weekly/110101/notc.htm#3Ref
  10. ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmsctech/332/0032202.htm
  11. ^ http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4014513.pdf
  12. ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmsctech/444/444ap02.htm
  13. ^ http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/national framework
  14. ^ "Africa's looming cancer epidemic". BBC News. 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  15. ^ http://www.afrox.org/london.html
  16. ^ http://www.afrox.org/docs/London_Declaration.pdf
  17. ^ http://royalsociety.org/event.asp?id=8409&month=6,2009
  18. ^ Kerr, David (2009-06-22). "Science can bridge national divides". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  19. ^ http://cellerontherapeutics.com/Management.html
  20. ^ http://www.cellerontherapeutics.com/
  21. ^ a b c http://www.worldgicancer.com/WCGI/WGIC2009/About%20ESMO.pdf
  22. ^ a b "Professor David Kerr - Department of Clinical Pharmacology". University of Oxford. 2008-06-19.
  23. ^ "'NHS Oscars' Awarded To NHS Modernisers". 2005-07-05.
  24. ^ "Awards and Fellowships 2007" (PDF). Royal College of General Practitioners.
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