Edinburgh University Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sir Peter Mathieson was revealed to have taken a second job in June 2024 that could earn him tens of thousands. This is in addition to his current salary and remuneration as University Principal of £440,000.
An article published by the Ferret on Friday said that Mathieson had accepted a position on the board of Roslin Cell Therapies (CT), a commercial biotech spinoff of the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute.
Roslin CT was established in 2006 and was involved in the cloning process of Dolly the Sheep.
In December 2021, Roslin CT was sold by Edinburgh University to a private equity firm for £38 million. It now manufactures medical treatments for sickle cell anaemia.
In June 2024, Mathieson became a non-executive director on the company’s board saying he was “honoured to join RoslinCT at such an exciting time for the company and the field of cell and gene therapy.”
Mathieson was previously a professor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Hong Kong, and Bristol. He specialised in nephrology, the study of human kidneys.
Since becoming Principal of Edinburgh University, Mathieson’s high salary has been a consistent source of controversy at the University of Edinburgh. The second-highest paid figure in Scottish higher education, Mathieson received raises during peak industrial action and in the midst of funding cuts.
In January 2025, Mathieson accepted a £9,000 salary increase as staffing cuts were announced following the University’s failure to reach its target surplus. He had previously accepted a £20,000 salary increase in November 2024, a pay rise of 5 per cent of what he previously earned.
The University of Edinburgh said Mathieson’s position at Roslin CT accounted for his “personal time” and was not related to his duties as Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
Roslin’s CT’s collective payout for its eight Board of Director members was £350,000 in 2024.
UCU Edinburgh criticised Mathieson’s position at Roslin CT, calling it “a slap in the face” while “staff and students are worried about the future of their jobs and their degrees.”
Edinburgh University currently faces £140 million in budget cuts after the Senior Leadership team announced it did not make its expected surplus in 2024.
The University has not ruled out laying off staff to fill the funding gaps.
UCU Edinburgh President Sophia Woodman said Mathieson accepting a second job in the wake of potential layoffs for University staff was “incomprehensible.”
The University of Edinburgh has been contacted for comment regarding Matheison’s position at Roslin CT.
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