Emeritus Professor Mike McPherson
Colleagues will be sorry to learn of the death, on 13 April 2023, of Professor Mike McPherson, former Professor of Biomolecular Engineering in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Mike spent his academic career at Leeds, graduating with a first class degree in Biophysics and Genetics in 1979, and completing a PhD in Genetics in 1982. He was appointed to a Lectureship in 1985 as a member of the newly formed Biotechnology Unit, becoming Senior Lecturer in 1992, Reader in 1998 and Professor of Biomolecular Engineering in 2002. He later became the Director of the Leeds Biomedical Health Research Centre. He was a very active member of the Faculty, holding the positions of Director of the Faculty Graduate School, the first Director of the Faculty Undergraduate School, Pro-Dean for Student Education and Interim Dean of the Faculty.
Mike was an amazing mentor, friend and colleague to many in the Faculty of Biological Sciences. He was always there to support and guide, and he was a very pragmatic leader – excellent at seeing the bigger picture and with a cheeky sense of humour. He retired in September 2020 at which time he was conferred with the title and status of Emeritus Professor.
The funeral service will be held at 1.15pm on Thursday 4 May 2023 at Our Lady and St Paulinus Church, Cemetery Road, Dewsbury, WF13 2SE, followed by cremation at Dewsbury Crematorium, Heckmondwike Road, WF13 3PL. Please contact Helen Griffiths at h.c.griffiths@leeds.ac.uk by the end of Friday 21 April if you would like to attend. Arrangements will be made for the flag on the Parkinson Building to be flown at half-mast on the day of the funeral in Mike’s memory.
Posted in: Obituaries