Sir Nicholas J. Wald, DSc (Med), FRCP, FRS received his medical degree from University College London and a Doctor of Science (Med) degree from the University of London. He received his clinical training at University College Hospital, London, and epidemiological experience in Sir Richard Doll’s department, University of Oxford.

After completion of his clinical education, Sir Nicholas was a member of the scientific staff of the Medical Research Council, Northwick Park Hospital, England in1971, then a member of the scientific staff of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Cancer Epidemiology Clinical Trials Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, University of Oxford, England, 1972-83. He served as its Deputy Director, 1982-83. He was Professor of Preventive Medicine and Head of the Centre of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry from 1983 to 2019. While in this position he was the Founding Director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine from 1992 to 2013 with a 3-year interruption. Since 2019 he has been Professor of Preventive Medicine at University College London. He is the founding editor of the Journal of Medical Screening, a position he has held since 1994.

He has been internationally recognized for his policy-changing research in several areas of public health in addition to the prevention of birth defects, including prevention of lung and breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetic retinopathy. He received the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr Foundation Award for Scientific Research in 2000 and the U.S. Public Health Service & CDC Award for Excellence in Prevention Research in 2004, and he was awarded Knighthood in 2008 for services to preventive medicine. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and an international member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM).