Chief Scientific Adviser

Responsibilities

The Chief Scientific Adviser is a part-time position within the Scottish Government. Julie will be in post until September 2025.

The Chief Scientific Adviser Scotland’s role is to champion the use of science to inform policy development, working closely with the Scottish Science Advisory Council to ensure access to the best scientific advice. The role includes promotion of Scotland as a world-leading science base.

Biography

Julie was Scientific Director of Moredun Research Institute and CEO of The Moredun Group. She was Chair of Food Security at the University of Glasgow’s College of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences. 

Julie’s qualifications include:

• veterinary surgeon from the University of Glasgow's Vet School
• PhD in mucosal immunology from the University of Bristol
• Master's degree in epidemiology through distance-learning from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

She became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2007 and of the Royal Agricultural Society of Scotland in 2008.

Awards include:

• OBE for services to livestock research (2014)
• the Royal Smithfield Club Bicentenary Trophy for contributions to agriculture (2016)
• and the Dalrymple-Champney’s Cup for veterinary research (2018)

Other roles include:

• Vice Chair of GALVmed, a public-private partnership funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Department For International Development
• Chair of the UK Science Partnership for Animal and Plant Health
• Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board
• Non-Executive Director of the Animal and Plant Health Agency
• Chair of the Independent Scientific Panel of Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC)
• Board member of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS)

Her personal research focused on infectious diseases of cattle, sheep and goats with particular emphasis on mastitis, welfare and developing countries.