Mackay is a senior manager in the teaching and research team at the University of the West of Scotland's School of Health and Life Sciences. Within the school, he is deputy head of biological sciences and health, responsible for health ethics, director of the new integrated Health, Environment and Life Sciences Research Institute, director of the Centre for Infection and Microbiology.

In addition, he holds an honorary position with Public Health Scotland, working on Covid-19 recovery, and has worked with the World Health Organisation on HIV drug resistance surveillance.

Mackay said: ‘NHS Lanarkshire and our academic partners have a strong record in high-quality research and innovation and this directly benefits our patients, staff and the organisation as a whole.

‘NHS research is crucial to improving patient outcomes and quality of life through developing new treatments, a better understanding of local populations and health inequalities, and informing health policies.'