Robert Dingwall


Robert Dingwall is a Professor of sociology whose focus is on the interdisciplinary study of law, medicine, science and technology. He is employed by Nottingham Trent University.

Biography

Dingwall studied at the University of Cambridge and then the University of Aberdeen. He has worked at the University of Oxford and the University of Nottingham.
Dingwall began his career with a doctorate in medical sociology.
Dingwall has chaired the Bioscience for Society Strategy Panel of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and previously served as a member of the Committee on Ethical Aspects of Pandemic Influenza and of the Civil Justice Council.
Dingwall has also been a consultant to industry on the ethical use of pharmaceuticals. He has also received commissions from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Food Standards Agency.
Dingwall is a Fellow and Council member of the Academy of Social Sciences and an Honorary Member of the Faculty
of Public Health at NTU.
Dingwall rose to become Professor of Sociology at the University of Nottingham, where he founded the Institute for Science and Society and was supervisor to more than 30 doctoral students.
Dingwall has become a member of the Faculty of Sociology at NTU in his emeritus years, and has served since at least November 2018 on NERVTAG, a scientific advisory panel for epidemic preparedness of HMG.

Public engagement

COVID-19

In early May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and as the UK had registered more than 20,000 deaths attributable to Coronavirus disease 2019, Dingwall was interviewed by a journalist at the Daily Telegraph over the Government's coronavirus warnings. He opined that:
In the same interview, Dingwall stressed that:
On 18 July, Dingwall criticised another SAGE report, which forecasted 120,000 deaths from COVID-19 in wintertime 2020-21. In his estimation "was based on flawed mathematics" and created an "environment of fear".