Professor David Gani, (right) director of research and innovation at the Scottish Funding Council, has been appointed deputy principal for external affairs, while Professor Philip Winn, (left) vice-principal of learning and teaching at St Andrews University, will join Strathclyde as the deputy principal for strategy.

In Edinburgh, Simon Best, the science entrepreneur is to head the commercialisation of the £600m BioQuarter as chairman of the project  in an effort to position Scotland as one of the world's top ten hubs for life sciences R&D
 
Best (left) said: "The commitment by all of the key stakeholders to support the BioQuarter and to co-ordinate their efforts to ensure its success is impressive. I am honoured and delighted to take on the leadership of this most exciting project."

The Edinburgh BioQuarter is a partnership between Scottish Enterprise, the University of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian and Alexandria Real Estates Equities Inc. The BioQuarter is located on a 100-acre site on the outskirts of the city.  Overall, it is likely to get £600m of investment and create thousands of jobs.

Best, career has included: CEO of Roslin BioMed, the commercial arm of the Roslin Institute, facilitating its acquisition in May 1999 by Geron Corp: then founding Ardana, an Edinburgh-based drugs company put into administration last year. He was chairman of the UK BioIndustry Association in 2006, 2007. Currently he is Entrepreneur-In-Residence at TVM Capital & chairman of the Advisory Board of PAR Equity.  He also received an honorary Professorship in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh in August 2008.