Developing appropriate evaluation pathways for complex invasive therapies: A surgeon’s perspective

Peter McCulloch went to Aberdeen Medical School and then trained as a surgeon in Glasgow, where he also began his academic career.  His initial research interests were on the mechanisms of cancer metastasis, and in evaluating radical surgery for gastric cancer.  He moved to Liverpool as a Senior Lecturer and later Reader in surgery, and developed specialist units for both breast and Upper GI cancer at Aintree University Hospital.  He became interested in the application of Evidence Based Medicine in surgery during the 1990s, and this came to dominate his research interests, together with a parallel interest in safety and quality in healthcare delivery.  He moved to Oxford University in 2004, and was appointed Professor of Surgical Science & Practice in 2013.  He was a prime mover in the Balliol Collaboration conferences from which the IDEAL Collaboration arose.  Professor McCulloch currently chairs this international network of surgeons, methodologists, statisticians, industry and regulatory experts which promotes the development of a rational integrated evaluation pathway for surgery, therapeutic devices and other complex therapeutic interventions.