Alan Langlands

University of Dundee

In September 2000, Sir Alan took up the post Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee following the retirement of Ian James Graham-Bryce. During this time, Sir Alan was also appointed Chairman of UK Biobank, a joint venture set up by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council to oversee one of the world's largest genetic epidemiology studies, and a Non-Executive Director of the Office for the Strategic Coordination of Health Research and the UK Statistics Authority. He is a Trustee of The Nuffield Trust and Chairman-designate of the Health Foundation.

In November 2008, Sir Alan announced his intention to stand down from his position as Principal at the University of Dundee in March 2009.

In June 2010, the university awarded Sir Alan an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws (LLD).

Born in Glasgow, he attended Allan Glen's School in Glasgow and graduated with an ordinary degree in biological science from the University of Glasgow in 1974.

He became General Manager of North West Thames Regional Health Authority in 1991. Between 1994 and 2000 he served as the chief executive of the NHS executive in England where he was the Secretary of State’s principal policy adviser for the NHS. He was known as a formidably hard worker. In 1998 he received a Knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to the NHS.

Langlands was chief executive of the NHS in England during a period of rapid change. His six years at the top, from 1994 to 2000, spanned the election of the new Labour government and included the Bristol inquiry, the rise of concern about healthcare-acquired infections and pressure for changes in working practices in the NHS. He also oversaw the setting up of bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the Commission for Health Improvement, which drove improvement and consistency across the NHS.