David Latchman

{{Short description|British geneticist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{EngvarB|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = David Latchman | honorific_suffix = CBE | office = Vice-Chancellor of University of London | status = Acting | term_start = 27 May 2025 | term_end = | predecessor = Wendy Thomson (Suspended) | successor = | office1 = Vice-Chancellor of Birkbeck, University of London | chancellor1 = Anne, Princess Royal | term_start1 = 1 January 2003 | term_end1 = 31 December 2023 | predecessor1 = Timothy O'Shea (Master) | successor1 = Sally Wheeler | birth_name = David Seymour Latchman | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|1|22|df=y}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | education = University of Cambridge (BA, MA, PhD)<br>University of London (DSc) }} '''David Seymour Latchman''' CBE (born 22 January 1956)<ref name="WW">{{Who's Who | title = LATCHMAN, Prof. David Seymour | id = U23850 | volume = 2026 | edition = online}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=David Seymour LATCHMAN personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/LKwhyyTGF-QT1bAesltSgF7fKn0/appointments |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> is a British geneticist and university administrator. From 2003 to 2023 he has been Vice-Chancellor of Birkbeck, University of London,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=London university's Worcester-born new vice chancellor explores old stomping ground |url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/24034342.new-birkbeck-vice-chancellor-returns-worcester-tour/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Worcester News |language=en}}</ref> and since 1999 professor of genetics at University College London.<ref name="Master">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbk.ac.uk/committees/officers-of-the-college/master |title=The Master |author= |website=Birkbeck University of London |access-date=3 October 2019 }}</ref> Since 2025, he has served as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, following the suspension of incumbent Vice-Chancellor Wendy Thomson over allegations of bullying and poor leadership.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-30 |title=University of London vice-chancellor suspended amid bullying allegations |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/university-london-vice-chancellor-suspended-172418047.html |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-AU}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Born into a Jewish family,<ref>William D. Rubinstein, Michael Jolles, Hilary L. Rubinstein, ''The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History'', Palgrave Macmillan (2011), p. 550</ref> he is nephew and heir to the childless wealthy property developer Maurice Wohl and is chair of the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Features/In-Thespotlight/Grapevine-A-legacy-worth-noting|title=Grapevine: A legacy worth noting|website=The Jerusalem Post|date=11 October 2012 |access-date=1 February 2020 |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> As a child he attended Haberdashers' Boys' School.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://davidlatchman.net/about |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=David Latchman |language=en-GB}}</ref> Subsequently, in 1978, he obtained Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences from Queens' College, Cambridge.<ref name="WW"/> In 1981 he was awarded by the University of Cambridge the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and in 1993 by University of London the higher doctorate, Doctor of Science.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor David Latchman CBE, MA PhD DSc FRCPath FRSA {{!}} University of London |url=https://www.london.ac.uk/about/governance/board-trustees/professor-david-latchman |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=www.london.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>

== Career == Latchman worked in the medical molecular biology unit at University College London (UCL), and at Middlesex School of Medicine.

He has been professor of molecular pathology, and director of the Windeyer Institute of Medical Science, at UCL, and was dean of the Institute for Child Health (1999–2002).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/05/16/one-britains-leading-universities-embroiled-majorresearch-scandal/ |title=Leading university embroiled in major research scandal |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=16 May 2018 |last1=Turner |first1=Camilla}}</ref>

He serves on several committees including London Development Agency (observer status); Universities UK Research Policy Network; National DNA Database Ethics Group; London First (board member).{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbk.ac.uk/committees/officers-of-the-college/master |title=The Master – Governance and Committees |publisher=Birkbeck, University of London}}</ref>

As Master of Birkbeck, he voiced protest at UK government proposals to cut funding for second degrees.<ref>David Latchman, [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/david-latchman-want-a-second-degree-itll-certainly-cost-you-400294.html 'Want a second degree? It'll certainly cost you...'], ''The Independent'', 15 November 2007</ref> Latchman was also a vocal advocate for part time degrees and government support to improve access for adults to higher education.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/uk-government-must-act-save-part-time-higher-education |title=The UK government must act to save part-time higher education |last=Latchman |first=David |date=13 December 2018 |work=Times Higher Education |access-date=13 December 2018}}</ref>

Latchman was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours for services to higher education.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue=59446 | date=12 June 2010 | page=7 | supp=y }}</ref>

Beginning in 2014, Latchman’s laboratory at UCL Institute of Child Health came under scrutiny after an anonymous whistleblower alleged that dozens of papers from the lab were doctored.<ref name="guardian2019">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jul/01/research-misconduct-claim-upheld-against-former-head-of-ucl-lab |title=Research misconduct claim upheld against former head of UCL lab| newspaper=The Guardian| date=July 2019 |first1=Ian |last1=Sample}}</ref> Two screening expert panels in 2014 and 2015 found evidence of research fraud in 14 papers from 1990 to 2013.<ref name="guardian2020">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/01/david-latchman-geneticist-should-resign-over-his-team-science-fraud|title=Top geneticist 'should resign' over his team's laboratory fraud|last=Sample|first=Ian|date=1 February 2020|work=The Observer|access-date=1 February 2020|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> Even though the two investigations found no evidence that he intended to commit fraud or was aware of the fraud, they found he had been reckless in his running of the lab and co-authoring on the research and upheld an allegation of research misconduct against him.<ref name="guardian2020"/> A 2018 disciplinary hearing concluded that there were insufficient grounds for any formal action against him, noting that fraud was difficult to detect and urged senior research leaders to consider when to stop being named authors on papers.<ref name="guardian2019"/><ref name="guardian2020"/> As of 2020, 6 papers have been retracted and 2 papers have been corrected.<ref name="guardian2020"/> Colleagues called for his resignation, but Latchman remained a part-time professor of human genetics at UCL, and master of Birkbeck. He no longer has a lab and has stopped supervising research.<ref name="guardian2020"/>

Following his twenty years vice-chancellorship at Birkbeck, in 2024, he assumed the position of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of London, which is federal university consisting of seventeen member universities. As a Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, he is responsible for supporting the Board of Trustees of the University of London.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor David Latchman CBE, MA PhD DSc FRCPath FRSA {{!}} University of London |url=https://www.london.ac.uk/about/governance/board-trustees/professor-david-latchman |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=www.london.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref>

On May 27, 2025, he assumed the role of Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, following the suspension of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Wendy Thomson, over allegations of bullying and poor leadership. Since then, he has been serving in this capacity while the university addresses the concerns surrounding its leadership.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-30 |title=University of London vice-chancellor suspended amid bullying allegations |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/university-london-vice-chancellor-suspended-172418047.html |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-AU}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mo/master/masterssciencepapers Latchman's recent scientific papers]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} *[http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mo/master/mastersinaugurallecture Inaugural lecture]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Latchman, David}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Jewish British scientists Category:Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Category:People educated at Haberdashers' Boys' School Category:British geneticists Category:Masters of Birkbeck, University of London Category:Academics of Birkbeck, University of London Category:Academics of University College London Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Fellows of King's College London