Professor Pamela Gillies

BSc,PGCE,MEd,MMedSci,PhD,FRSA,FFPH,FAcSS,HonFRCPS(Glas)FRSE,DSc(Hon),CBE

Pamela Gillies was born in Dundee and was the first in her family to attend University. She is a Professor Emerita in Public Health and former Vice Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University where she held the role for almost 17 years. She currently Chairs the Board of The Circle, a charity founded by Annie Lennox to promote gender equality, women’s economic opportunities and to reduce gender-based violence globally. She also serves on the Research Committee of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy, and on the Boards of:  the European Women Rectors Association; the National University of Science and Technology in Oman; the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Lunchtime Theatre: A Play, A Pie & A Pint. In her career she has worked with the World Health Organisation on HIV/AIDS prevention; been a Harkness Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health; established with Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the Grameen Caledonian School of Nursing in Dhaka as a social business; partnered the development of the African Leadership University with Fred Swaniker and its Chancellor Graca Machel;  established the first and very successful Scottish University outreach campus in London and, as its President, created the first international degree awarding College for the Common Good in New York City. Amongst other roles she served as the lead member for Universities Scotland on Student Mental Health and on retirement was made an Honorary Life Fellow of the Students Association of Glasgow Caledonian University. She began her tenured academic career as Lecturer at the Medical School, University of Nottingham, in 1984 and subsequently held roles as Head of Department, Head of School and finally as the University’s first female Pro Vice Chancellor. She has served on many Boards including, amongst others, the British Council, RFK UK Human Rights and the Saltire Foundation. She has researched and written widely on HIV/AIDS epidemiology, social action for health, health promotion and inequalities reduction.