David Crosby, PhD, is head of prevention and early detection research at Cancer Research UK (CRUK), a fundraising research charity and the world’s second largest non-commercial funder of cancer research, after the US government. David began life as a baby, before becoming a pharmacologist, completing a PhD studying cell signalling in platelets. He spent time in academia, lecturing in clinical pharmacology. He moved into industry, identifying and evaluating new clinical development opportunities for Linde Gas Therapeutics, the world’s largest medical gases company. He then moved into the public sector, joining the UK government research funding agency, the Medical Research Council, where he oversaw various science areas and research funding programmes (including inflammation, cardiovascular and respiratory research), leading the MRC-NIHR methodology research programme, and MRC’s strategy and investments in experimental medicine. He is now developing and implementing a new strategy and programme of research investments at CRUK which aims to accelerate progress towards earlier detection and prevention of cancer, through an integrated multidisciplinary approach, driven by equitable improvements in health outcomes. He also works part-time for the UK government, advising the Office for Life Sciences on the UK’s Cancer Mission