I have a background originally in Statistics and then in Medicine. I then specialised in Epidemiology and Public Health working firstly in the field of cancer and then in rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions. I was first appointed to a personal chair at the University of Manchester (and Head of Department) in 1999. At the University of Aberdeen I lead the Epidemiology Group (25 staff) and I am Director of the MRC/Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work which involves institutions from throughout the UK. Currently my work has live grant income of £14m. Our group leads work on three UK-wide drug registries in rheumatic diseases and infectious diseases. I have been Dean of Interdisciplinary Research and Research Impact for 6 years and provided institutional-wide leadership on issues such as Research Integrity. Externally I have chaired national working groups, been a member of national committees such as NICE guidelines, the Health and Safety Executive Science Quality Advisory Group, I am a Chartered Statistician of the Royal Statistical Society, a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine and an Honorary fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.I have 431 published peer-reviewed manuscripts and an H-index of 92 (scopus.com). I have been awarded the Alexander Morison medal by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and I have delivered several named lectures including the Heberden Oration of the British Society for Rheumatology and the Ernestine Henry Lecture of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.