Professor Peter Goadsby MD PhD FRS is one of the world’s leading neurologists and neuroscientists, internationally recognized for pioneering work that has transformed the understanding and treatment of migraine and cluster headache. He joins KAUST as Senior Associate to the President and will lead the establishment of the University’s fourth academic division in Biomedical Sciences, where he will serve as Founding Dean.

In addition to his KAUST role, Professor Goadsby holds current joint appointments as Director of the NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility, Professor of Neurology at King’s College London, and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at King’s College Hospital and the Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street, London. He is also a National Institute for Health and Care Research Emeritus Senior Investigator and Emeritus Professor of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Professor Goadsby obtained his medical degree and training at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, and completed neurology training with James W. Lance and clinical neurophysiology training with David Burke. His postdoctoral research included work with Don Reis at Cornell University and Jacques Seylaz in Paris, followed by postgraduate neurology training at Queen Square, London, under C. David Marsden, Andrew Lees, Anita Harding, and W. Ian McDonald. He later returned to UNSW and the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, as a consultant neurologist and Associate Professor of Neurology, before being appointed Wellcome Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Neurology, University College London, and serving as Professor of Clinical Neurology and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. He also held leadership roles in the United States, including as Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Professor Goadsby’s research redefined the biology of migraine, identifying calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP) as a central driver of the disorder. This discovery led to the development of entirely new classes of migraine-specific medicines that have already improved the lives of millions worldwide. For these contributions, he received the 2021 Brain Prize, the world’s largest neuroscience award, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022.

At KAUST, his expertise will be central to advancing translational neuroscience, strengthening the Kingdom’s capacity in experimental medicine and clinical trials, and building global partnerships to accelerate solutions for neurological disorders, a growing public health challenge in Saudi Arabia.