Imperial: new Rector Roy Anderson gives up post to return to research

The Rector of Imperial College London Roy Anderson has announced that he is stepping down after 18 months in the post, to focus on his research career.

The governing Council of the College said it has accepted the resignation with deep regret.

Anderson will serve as Rector until 31 December 2009, after which he will return to his position as Chair of Infectious Disease Epidemiology within Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine. Keith O'Nions, currently Director of Imperial’s Institute for Security Science and Technology, will serve as Acting Rector from 1 January 2010 until a new Rector is appointed by the Council.

Anderson took up the post in July 2008, succeeding Richard Sykes, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, who was Rector of Imperial for eight years.

Explaining his decision to resign after only 16 months Anderson said, “I have decided to step down as Rector as I want to return to my primary concern, which is my deep and abiding research interest into global health. All my working life I have been, and I remain today, a research scientist and a teacher with a very strong interest in the global problem of infectious diseases and their control.”

“This requires me to maintain a broad range of external roles and I will therefore continue with my international advisory work for both governments and leading public and private sector bodies around the world. Such activity informs and broadens my academic research, which in turn increases my ability to add value in my advisory roles.”

Anderson added, “I am immensely proud of, and loyal to, Imperial and I shall do all I can from my new position to ensure that our College maintains its world-leading position of today, and is well-prepared to meet new challenges tomorrow.”