Julie Fitzpatrick was appointed Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) for Scotland in June 2021. She is a qualified veterinary surgeon from the University of Glasgow's Vet School and holds a PhD in mucosal immunology from the University of Bristol. Fitzpatrick also has a Master's degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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In 2004, she became the Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute and CEO of the Moredun Group, positions she held for nearly 20 years. Fitzpatrick has received several accolades, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2007 and a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of Scotland in 2008. She was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her services to livestock research and a CBE for contributions to science in 2025.
In addition to her roles, Fitzpatrick is a Director of the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) and has received the Royal Smithfield Club Bicentenary Trophy in 2016 and the Dalrymple-Champney’s Cup in 2018 for her research in agriculture and veterinary science.
Her advisory roles include being a member of the UK Microbial Forensic Consortium Advisory Board and the Research Data Scotland Board. She previously served as Vice Chair of GALVmed, a public-private partnership supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and was Chair of the UK Science Partnership for Animal and Plant Health. Fitzpatrick also led the Independent Scientific Panel of the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre and was a Board member of Quality Meat Scotland, as well as Vice-President of RHASS.
Her research has concentrated on infectious diseases affecting livestock and aquaculture species both in the UK and developing countries, with a focus on innovation and diagnostic test development.