Ian Greer (obstetrician)


Ian Andrew Greer is a medical doctor who is the President and Vice Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast and formerly Vice-President of the University of Manchester and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences. He was Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Glasgow 2001−2007, Dean at Hull York Medical School 2007–2010, then Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool 2010−2015.

Early life

Greer went to Allan Glen's School in Glasgow. He studied at the University of Glasgow graduating with a medical degree.

Academic career

In 1991, Greer joined the University of Glasgow as Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He held the Muirhead Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 1992 until 2000. Taking up the post at the age of 33, he was the youngest person to be appointed professor and head of a British department of obstetrics and gynaecology in the 20th century. In 2001 he became Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Greer took up the post of Dean of the Hull York Medical School in January 2007. He moved to the University of Liverpool in 2010, becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. In 2013, he was made the Provost responsible for research policy. In early 2015, he was asked to head the Health North scheme which was concerned with eHealth and local innovation.
In March 2015 the University of Manchester appointed him as Vice-President and Dean to lead the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences. Shortly after this he was named as director of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre. In May 2017, the university announced plans to axe 171 jobs, 140 of which were tenured academic positions, saying the institution needed to invest in its “strategic priorities”. Greer oversaw the process that aimed to cut 65 academic positions in his faculty. 198 Manchester University professors signed letter of no confidence over cuts. Staff went on a two-day strike on the 23rd of October 2017. Despite failing to achieve the target number of voluntary redundancies, shortly after the strike, Greer wrote to staff in his faculty that the planned compulsory redundancies were cancelled. In January 2018, Queen's University Belfast appointed him as President and Vice Chancellor.