About
Calum is the Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) to the Scottish Government, a part-time secondment that began in August 2025.
Calum was raised in Glasgow and Edinburgh. He qualified in medicine from the University of Oxford after completing a PhD in Clinical Virology at University College London and a Bachelor's Tripos in Cell Pathology, Immunology, and Virology at Middlesex Hospital Medical School. His clinical academic training in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine began in 2002 when he was awarded a Department of Health National Clinical Scientist Fellowship at the University of Liverpool and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He was appointed Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in 2006. He was promoted to Professor of Outbreak Medicine and Child Health at the University of Liverpool in 2018. He will retain these positions, albeit with reduced activity, during his appointment to the Scottish Government.
Calum has been studying severe viral outbreaks since 1989 and co-founded the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) in 2012. He has led research on HIV/AIDS, Bronchiolitis, Influenza, Ebola, Mpox, COVID-19, and Hepatitis, with a focus on disease characterisation and clinical countermeasures. The Wellcome Trust, UK NIHR, and UKRI MRC have supported his work. For his leadership of medical research activities in Sierra Leone between 2014 and 2016, he and his team were awarded the Queen’s Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa. In 2019, he received a Commonwealth Award for his ongoing work with Ebola Survivors.
Calum has held key advisory roles during public health emergencies, including serving as a UK Government advisor during the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic, on the WHO Scientific Advisory Committee for the Ebola Emergency - STAC-EE (2014–2017), the New Emerging Respiratory Viral Threats Advisory Group - NERVTAG (2014–2023), and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - SAGE for COVID-19 (2020–2022). He was appointed OBE in 2020 for his contributions to the COVID-19 response and was elected a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health by distinction in 2022.
Calum’s leadership style is founded upon integrity, grit, recognition of others’ contributions, respect for diversity, support for growth, and clear communication.
Clinical Patient Coordinator: RespiratoryPCO@AlderHey.nhs.uk +44 (0) 151 252 5054
Prizes or Honours
- Fellow of Faculty of Public Health by Distinction (Faculty of Public Health, 2022)
- Officer (Civilian Division) of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Her Majesty The Queen, 2020)
- Commonwealth Association Award (Liverpool Commonwealth Association, 2019)
- Queen's Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa (Health Research Activities) (Her Majesty's Government, 2016)
- Letter from Prime Minister (Olympic Games Health Threat Response) (Prime Minister HMG UK, 2012)
- Letter from Chief Medical Officer (Pandemic Influenza Research Response) (Chief Medical Officer, 2011)
Funded Fellowships
- Vice Chancellor's Future Research Leaders Award (University of Liverpool, 2004)
- National Clinician Scientitst Award (Department of Health HMG UK, 2002)