Michael J. G. Farthing (born 1948) is British emeritus professor at the
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
, where he was previously its
vice-chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...
(2007–2016). His early academic career was in medicine, specialising in
gastroenterology
Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract ...
.
Following an appointment as
research fellow
A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a pr ...
, honorary lecturer in gastroenterology at
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust.
History
Early history
Barts was founded in 1123 by Rahere (died ...
, London, in 1980, he was appointed
Wellcome
Wellcome () is a supermarket chain owned by British conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings via its DFI Retail Group subsidiary. The Wellcome supermarket chain is one of the two largest supermarket chains in Hong Kong, the other being Parkn ...
Tropical Lecturer and worked in India, Boston and Costa Rica as visiting lecturer and assistant professor. In 1983, upon returning to the UK, he became senior lecturer and honorary consultant back at Barts' department of gastroenterology. In 1990 he was appointed professor of gastroenterology at
St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College
, mottoeng = Temper the bitter things in life with a smile
, parent = Queen Mary University of London
, president = Lord Mayor of London
, head_label = Warden
, head = Mark Caulfield
, students = 3,410
, undergrad = 2,23 ...
and held this post for five years. He later became Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Professor of Medicine at the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. Following this, he was honorary consultant gastroenterologist for the
St George's Healthcare NHS Trust
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, formerly called St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, is based in Tooting in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and serves a population of 1.3 million across southwest London. A large numbe ...
from 2003-2007.
From 1996 to 2002 he served as editor of ''
Gut''. It was during his time as editor that he came across the problem of research fraud. The problem of scientific misconduct led him, with other journal editors, lawyers and professor of ethics, to cofound a UK Committee on Publication Ethics,
Committee on Publication Ethics
The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) is a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to define best practice in the ethics of scholarly publishing and to assist editors and publishers to achieve this.
Mission
COPE educates and su ...
(COPE).
In 2007, Farthing was appointed the seventh vice chancellor at
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
, where he led plans for re-development.
Early life and education
Michael Farthing attended
Henry Thornton school, a state
grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
in
Clapham
Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth.
History
Early history
T ...
, London.
In 1969, before qualifying as a doctor he spent time volunteering at a mission hospital in a village in the
Kadapa district
Kadapa district (officially: YSR district; formerly: Cuddapah district) is one of the twenty six districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. On 19 August 2005 nomenclature of “Cuddapah” has been changed as “Kadapa” by the Governm ...
in
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
, India.
He gained his medical degree from
University College, London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
(UCL) and the
University College Hospital Medical School
UCL Medical School is the medical school of University College London (UCL) and is located in London, United Kingdom. The School provides a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education programmes and also has a medical educati ...
in 1972.
Early career
Farthing completed his early medical training at
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned large teaching hospital and research centre in Cambridge, England, with strong affiliations to the University of Cambridge. Addenbrooke's Hospital is based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campu ...
, Cambridge.
In the 1970s he returned to India for a second time as a doctor on a
film set
A set is artificially constructed scenery used in theatre, film and TV. In the latter two cases there are many reasons to build or use a set instead of travelling to a real location, such as budget, time, the need to control the environment, or t ...
.
Following an appointment as
research fellow
A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a pr ...
, honorary lecturer in gastroenterology at
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust.
History
Early history
Barts was founded in 1123 by Rahere (died ...
, London, in 1980, he was appointed
Wellcome
Wellcome () is a supermarket chain owned by British conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings via its DFI Retail Group subsidiary. The Wellcome supermarket chain is one of the two largest supermarket chains in Hong Kong, the other being Parkn ...
Tropical Lecturer and worked in India, Boston and Costa Rica as visiting lecturer and assistant professor.
Upon returning to the UK in 1983, he became senior lecturer and honorary consultant back at St Bartholomew's Hospital's department of gastroenterology.
In 1990 he was appointed professor of gastroenterology at
St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College
, mottoeng = Temper the bitter things in life with a smile
, parent = Queen Mary University of London
, president = Lord Mayor of London
, head_label = Warden
, head = Mark Caulfield
, students = 3,410
, undergrad = 2,23 ...
and held this post for five years.
From 1995 to 2000 he was Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Medicine at
.
During this time he oversaw the
postdoctoral work of
Rebecca Fitzgerald
Rebecca Clare Fitzgerald (born September 1968) is a British medical researcher (born September 1968) whose work focuses on the early detection and treatment of oesophageal cancers. She is a tenured Professor of Cancer Prevention and Program Le ...
.
He was honorary professor and consultant physician at University College, where he was first elected in 1998.
In 2000 he moved to Glasgow and became Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Professor of Medicine at the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. Following this, he was honorary consultant gastroenterologist for the
St George's Healthcare NHS Trust
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, formerly called St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, is based in Tooting in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and serves a population of 1.3 million across southwest London. A large numbe ...
from 2003-2007.
He concurrently held the positions of Principal,
St George's, University of London
St George's, University of London (legally St George's Hospital Medical School, informally St George's or SGUL), is a University located in Tooting in South London and is a constituent college of the University of London. St George's has its o ...
from 2003-2007, and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Medicine
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
from 2005-2007.
He has also had numerous Government and national body roles. These include Co-ordinator (Gastroenterology) for the
UK/Poland Health Agreement first from 1990–92 and then 1992-94,and member for the Education Committee and Undergraduate Board of the
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by c ...
, both from 2001-8. As a member of the Education Committee of the
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by c ...
, Farthing played a part in curriculum planning for the new
Medical School
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
established jointly by the Universities of Hull and York.
He was non-executive Director of the
Greater Glasgow NHS Board from 2001-2003 and non-executive director of the
South West London Strategic Health Authority from 2003-2007. Other positions include non-executive director of the
Brighton and Sussex University Trust and chair of the Quality and Risk Committee for the Trust since 2013. Farthing became vice-chair for the
UK Panel for Research Integrity in Health and Biomedical Sciences; has been Honorary Consultant in
Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract ...
to the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
since 1991; and is a Fellow of the
Academy of Medical Sciences
The Academy of Medical Sciences is an organisation established in the UK in 1998. It is one of the four UK National Academies, the others being the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.
Its mission is to adv ...
.
From 1996 to 2002 he served as editor of ''Gut''.
Committee on Publication Ethics
In 1997 he was appointed editor of ''Gut, International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology''.
It was during his time as editor that he came across the problem of research fraud.
The problem of scientific misconduct led him, with other journal editors (including
Richard Horton and
Richard Smith), lawyers and professor of ethics
Ian Kennedy
Ian Patrick Kennedy (born December 19, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, ...
, to establish a UK Committee on Publication Ethics,
Committee on Publication Ethics
The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) is a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to define best practice in the ethics of scholarly publishing and to assist editors and publishers to achieve this.
Mission
COPE educates and su ...
(COPE).
In 2013 in Shanghai, he presented a paper on research misconduct: A grand global challenge for the 21st century.
It was later published in the ''
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology'' (2014).
University of Sussex
In 2007, Farthing was appointed the seventh vice chancellor at
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
,
where he led plans for re-development.
It set out plans to grow its research income, double international student numbers and increase engagement with the business community.
He led the creation of partnerships with institutions in China. He oversaw the creation of 13 schools of studies (beginning in August 2009), including the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which altered the scope for interdisciplinary communication and collaboration for which Sussex has been known. A regular column in the University's Bulletin used to set out his vision for the development of the University.
When in office, Farthing disbanded the linguistics department — a move condemned by
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...
, a
linguist
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
.
In 2012 during his tenure, the university’s Centre for Community Engagement (CCE) closed. In the same year he cautioned that to re-introduce Masters courses once withdrawn takes years and could affect professions that require particular skills such as toxicology and geological sciences.
In late November 2012, several dozen students barricaded themselves in the conference centre at Sussex University in protest against plans to outsource campus services.
In December Farthing took action to suspend five students associated with occupations of administration buildings and restrict them from returning to campus. In early 2013 the level of student protest at Sussex over privatisation resulted in Farthing publicly considering the defunding or underfunding of the Student Union.
An
early day motion
In the Westminster parliamentary system, an early day motion (EDM) is a Motion (parliamentary procedure), motion, expressed as a single sentence, Table (parliamentary procedure), tabled by Member of Parliament, members of Parliament that formally ...
calling on Farthing to retract the suspensions was signed by 13
Members of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
. Farthing announced his intention to resign the post of vice-chancellor in September 2015.
Other work
After working on and publicly speaking on
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
’s anatomical drawings, Farthing wrote ''Leonardo da Vinci: Under the Skin'', with his brother, published in 2019.
In the same year he was elected Master of the
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence.
The society is a m ...
.
Awards and honours
In 1987 he was awarded the Research Medal by the
British Society of Gastroenterology The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) is a British professional organisation of gastroenterologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, scientists, nurses, dietitians and others amongst its members, which number over 3,000. It was founde ...
.
He was secretary of the
British Society of Gastroenterology The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) is a British professional organisation of gastroenterologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, scientists, nurses, dietitians and others amongst its members, which number over 3,000. It was founde ...
from 1990 to 1994, chair of the
Scientific Committee UEGF 2004-2009, and president of the
British Society of Gastroenterology The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) is a British professional organisation of gastroenterologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, scientists, nurses, dietitians and others amongst its members, which number over 3,000. It was founde ...
from 2007-2008.
between 2014-2015 he was president of the
United European Gastroenterology
The United European Gastroenterology (UEG) is a non-profit organisation combining European societies concerned with digestive health.
About
Founded in 1992 United European Gastroenterology (UEG) is the leading non-profit organisation for exc ...
.
Other awards include the
International Cannes Water and Medicine Prize (2000); the
Gideon de Laune Medal from the
Society of Apothecaries
The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It is one of the largest livery companies (with over 1,600 members in 2012) and ranks 58th in their order of precedence.
The society is a m ...
and the
Henry L Bockus Gold Medal from the
World Gastroenterology Organisation
The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) is an international federation of over 100 national GI societies and 4 regional associations of gastroenterology representing over 50,000 individual members.
WGO is focused on "the improvement of stan ...
.
Selected publications
Books
*
*
*
*
*
Articles
* (Co-author)
* (Co-author)
*
*
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farthing, Michael
20th-century English medical doctors
21st-century English medical doctors
British gastroenterologists
People associated with the University of Sussex
Living people
1948 births
British medical researchers
Alumni of University College London
People associated with St George's, University of London