Prof. Saad Shakir Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU), UK

Prof. Saad Shakir is a leading pharmacoepidemiologist and drug safety expert, best known for his 26 years as Director of the independent Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU), affiliated with the University of Portsmouth. Trained in clinical pharmacology and with a background in hospital medicine and general practice, he joined the... read moreUK Medicines Control Agency before taking up the DSRU role in 1999. Under his leadership, the unit expanded its methodologies from Prescription Event Monitoring to innovative real-world approaches, including registries, data linkage studies, and benefit–risk assessments, strengthening its global reputation in pharmacovigilance. A Fellow of multiple Royal Colleges and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, and an active contributor to international journals and postgraduate education, Prof. Shakir has made influential contributions to drug safety science and training worldwide.