Personal profile
Biography
Ewen is Professor of Surgery and Data Science at the University of Edinburgh and a Consultant Liver and Pancreas Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
He is Director of the Centre for Medical Informatics in the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh. He leads the Surgical and Critical Care Informatics group which pioneers data-driven, collaborative research to improve patient outcomes after surgery across both the global north and south.
His work spans AI/machine learning, decision modelling, wearable sensing, and clinical trials. He has a PhD in Molecular Biology, an MSc in Statistics, and has contributed to over 300 research publications including authoring the popular book, R for Healthcare Data Science. He is Deputy Editor at the NEJM AI.
He leads the NIHR Unit on Global Surgery at the University of Edinburgh, a collaboration with the University of Birmingham and partners in eight countries. This provides a platform for the GlobalSurg/COVIDSurg Collaborative which, with over 15,000 individuals in 116 countries, is one of the largest scientific consortia in the world (Guinness World Records 2021).
He has been appointed a Fellow of both the Academic of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His work during the COVID-19 pandemic was recognised with an OBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB commendation) June 1999, University of Glasgow
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) July 2008. "Pharmacological strategies to reduce ischemi-reperfusion injury in kidney transplantation", University of Edinburgh
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS Gen surg) June 2011. Sub-specialty exam: transplantation, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
- Graduate Certificate in Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, June 2012
- MSc Statistics with Medical Applications, University of Sheffield, November 2015
- Fellow Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), March 2023
- Fellow Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), July 2023
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Matching clinicians with clinical trials using AI
Gao, J., Xiao, C., Glass, L. M., Harrison, E. M. & Sun, J., 6 Mar 2026, In: Nature Health. 1, 290–299.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Protocol for the PROSECCA study: a new approach for predicting radiotherapy outcome using artificial intelligence and electronic population-based healthcare data
Nailon, B., Noble, D. J., Harrison, E. M., Yang, Z., Elliot, S., MacNair, A., Beckett, G., Hallam, A., Sheikh, A., Mills, N., Halliday, R., Morrison, D., Chalmers, A., Cameron, D. A., Gourley, C., Hall, P. S., Lilley, C., Carruthers, L., Trainer, M. & Burns, D. & 30 others, , 2 Feb 2026, In: BMJ Open. 16, 2Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
RHealth: A R Toolkit for Deep Learning in Healthcare
Song, J., Ren, Z., Wu, Z., Wu, J., Yang, C., Zhu, Y., Tang, W., Sun, J., Harrison, E. M., Ma, L. & Gao, J., 15 Dec 2025, 2025 IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, p. 7379-7384 6 p. (IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM)).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
Open Access -
The safety, physiological response and repeatability of the incremental shuttle walk test in survivors of COVID-19
PHOSP-COVID Study Collaborative Group, Baldwin, M. M., Daynes, E., Karsanji, U., McAuley, H. J. C., Bishop, N. C., Bolton, C. E., Man, W.D.-C., Vogiatzis, I., Chalmers, J. D., Ho, L.-P., Horsley, A., Marks, M., Poinasamy, K., Raman, B., Leavy, O. C., Richardson, M., Elneima, O., Shikotra, A. & Singapuri, A. & 13 others, , 15 Dec 2025, In: ERJ Open Research. 11, 6, 13 p., 00089-2025.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Non-linear regression modelling for medical professionals; making curved paths straightforward
Tingle, S. J., Kourounis, G., Elliot, S. & Harrison, E. M., 3 Nov 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Postgraduate Medical Journal. qgaf183.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
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RoboSCOT: Scaling robotic assisted surgery in Scotland
Harrison, E. (Principal Investigator)
16/01/25 → 31/10/26
Project: Research
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Reducing Delays in Cancer Care in Sub-Saharan Africa
Harrison, E. (Principal Investigator)
1/11/24 → 30/04/29
Project: Research
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CHAI - EPSRC AI Hub for Causality in Healthcare AI with Real Data
Tsaftaris, S. (Principal Investigator), Baillie, K. (Co-investigator), Beentjes, S. (Co-investigator), Crowley, E. (Co-investigator), Escudero Rodriguez, J. (Co-investigator), Gouk, H. (Co-investigator), Guthrie, B. (Co-investigator), Harrison, E. (Co-investigator), Khamseh, A. (Co-investigator), King, R. (Co-investigator), Nazarpour, K. (Co-investigator), Parsons, M. (Co-investigator), Ramamoorthy, R. (Co-investigator), Seth, S. (Co-investigator), Simpson, I. (Co-investigator) & Whiteley, W. (Co-investigator)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/02/24 → 31/01/29
Project: Research
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Wellcome Leap Save
Dadderio, L. (Co-investigator) & Harrison, E. (Principal Investigator)
1/03/23 → …
Project: Research
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Improving radiotherapy in PROState cancer using EleCtronic population-based healthCAre data: The PROSECCA study, answering new questions in prostate cancer
Nailon, B. (Principal Investigator), Gourley, C. (Co-investigator), Hall, P. (Co-investigator), Harrison, E. (Co-investigator), Mills, N. (Co-investigator) & Sheikh, A. (Co-investigator)
1/10/22 → 1/10/27
Project: Research
Press/Media
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Ewen Harrison says research suggests surgical infections linked to drug-resistant bugs
14/02/18
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Research suggests death rates are not reliable indicator of individual surgeons’ performance
8/11/16
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Edinburgh researchers uncover gall bladder surgery 'lottery'
22/06/12
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Ewen Harrison finds patients in poorer countries three times more likely to die during surgery
3/05/16
8 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research