Dr John Watson

Dr John Watson, FRCP FFPH, is an infectious disease epidemiologist.  He qualified in medicine in London in 1979 and subsequently trained in clinical respiratory medicine and public health.  He headed the Respiratory Diseases Department of Public Health England from 1989 to 2013, was Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England from 2013 to 2017, and Senior Medical Adviser to Public Health England from 2017 to 2021.  

John’s work has focussed on the surveillance, prevention and control of infectious respiratory diseases, and related research.  He holds a Visiting Chair at University College London and an Honorary Chair at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  He was Chairman of the International Society for Influenza and other Respiratory Virus Diseases (ISIRV) from 2009 to 2013, and a member of the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP) Advisory Group from to 2015 to 2021.