 Professor
Eon Nigel Harris assumed office as Vice Chancellor on October
1, 2004.
A Guyanese by birth, Professor Harris was previously Dean
and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Morehouse
School of Medicine in Atlanta, USA. He brings to the high
office of Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies,
a wealth of experience both as an administrator, academician
and researcher.
He is internationally known for his work as a Rheumatologist.
With colleagues in London, he helped to define a disorder
which they called the Antiphospholipid Syndrome and devised
a diagnostic test (the anticardiolipin test) for it. For this
work he shared with Dr Graham Hughes and Dr Aziz Gharavi of
Hammersmith Hospital the Ceiba-Geigy Prize. Over 150 papers,
editorials, reviews and chapters on this subject have been
published by Professor Harris. He joined the University of
Louisville, Kentucky, in 1987 and by 1993 became Professor
of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology. There
he launched the Antiphospholipid Standardisation Laboratory
which leads worldwide efforts in standardisation of the anticardiolipin
test and distributing these standards to over 500 laboratories
worldwide. The laboratory currently operates from the Morehouse
School of Medicine and continues to attract international
fellows.
His academic achievements and personal qualities have earned
Professor Harris national leadership positions in organisations
such as the Association of American Medical Colleges, the
National Centre for Research Resources (NCCR) and the Association
of Academic Health Centres. He has received many Honours and
Awards, including the Centennial Award for Contributions to
Medicine of the National Medical Association of America in
1995.
Professor Harris graduated magna cum laude from Howard University,
with a degree in Chemistry and proceeded on a fellowship to
Yale University, where he received a Master of Philosophy
degree in Biochemistry. He earned his medical degree from
the University of Pennsylvania, completing this within three
years and again graduating with honours.
He then returned to the Caribbean where he completed his residency
in internal medicine at the University of the West Indies
at Mona and was awarded the post-graduate degree, Doctor of
Medicine (DM).
In 1996 Professor Harris was appointed Dean and Senior Vice
President for Academic Affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine
where he proved to be an outstanding administrator, well liked
by both faculty and students and particularly sensitive to
student needs.
Professor Harris is married to Dr C. Yvette Williams-Harris,
a general internist and they have three children.
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