Sir John is Newcastle University’s Professor of Clinical Genetics leading the Cancer Prevention Programme (CaPP) and an honorary NHS consultant in the regional Genetics Service which he led for 20 years (1984-2004). Over 300 peer reviewed publications have been cited over 40,000 times (H index 99).
He co-led creation of the Millennium Landmark Centre for Life opened by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2000; it houses genetics and fertility NHS services and genomic research and genomic laboratory services for the 3 million people in Northern England. The Centre provides science classes to 40,000 children each year and receives up to a quarter of a million visitors.
He chairs DNA device company QuantuMDx Ltd. He is a Trustee of the European Hereditary Tumour Group, the UNESCO NGO Global Variome and of HUGO (the Human Genome Organisation) London. He is Chair of Research and Innovation, NE& Yorkshire Genomics Medicine Service and Chair Elect of the Prevention and Population Research Committee of Cancer Research UK. In 2025.
Former roles include
• Chair of UK Cancer Genetics Group 1997-2003,
• founding chair InSiGHT 2003-5,
• President of European Society of Human Genetics 2006-7,
• Chair of British Society for Genetic Medicine 2010-12,
• regional lead clinician 2008-2012,
• non-executive director of NHS England 2014-2018,
• Chair of Newcastle Hospitals (2017 -2023).
• Scientific advisor Genomics England 2012-2025.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for services to medicine and in 2014 was recognised as a ‘local hero’ with a brass plaque on Newcastle Quayside.