Dr John Lackie was formerly Senior Lecturer in Cell Biology at the University of Glasgow, then Director & Director of Research at the Yamanouchi Research Institute, Oxford (which sought new targets for drugs) and then Principal & CEO of the Westlakes Research Institute in Cumbria before setting up an independent consultancy company, Plumbland Consulting Ltd. He has edited four editions of the Dictionary of Cell & Molecular Biology (4th Edition, 2007) and was Chief Editor of the Chambers' Dictionary of Science & Technology (2007).