It is with great sadness that I report the death of David Morgan, who died peacefully on 3 October 2025.
David was a highly respected Biostatistician whose expertise influenced the careers of many medical statisticians, clinicians and scientists. He had deep knowledge of clinical trials, statistical methodology and global regulatory requirements for drug development.
David graduated from Oxford University with degrees in Mathematics and in Applied Statistics and was both a Chartered Statistician and a Chartered Mathematician. He spent more than 30 years working in Statistics and Data Management in pharmaceutical drug development, finishing his career as Global Head of multiple functions at Ipsen, the French biopharmaceutical company. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at i3, Axess, Hoechst Marion Roussel, Marion Merrell Dow, SmithKline Beecham and Wyeth.
In later years, David was a Visiting Senior Lecturer at King’s College London, where he developed the Data Management and Statistics module for the MSc programmes in Drug Development Science and Clinical Pharmacology. He authored many highly cited publications, including a series of influential ‘white papers’ on statistical topics in drug regulation, produced on behalf of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (PSI) and European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI). From 2016 to 2019, David served as Joint Editor-in-Chief of Pharmaceutical Statistics. He was also a regular speaker at both statistical and clinical conferences, most recently at the Precision Oncology Saudi Summit in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia earlier this year. In recognition of his achievements, David was made an Honorary member of PSI.
From a personal perspective, David was a wonderful man always creating time for anyone in need. He was always receptive and flexible when dealing with colleagues whilst remaining committed to maintaining statistical integrity. He was a motivated team leader and collaborative team player with international experience, and an excellent communicator.
Outside work, David was a lay preacher and prominent member of Wokingham Methodist Church. He brought his professional insight to this sphere too, serving as a trustee of Methodist Central Hall for eight years and, from September 2016 until his death, as a board member of Central Hall Westminster Ltd. A keen sportsman, he played football and cricket for his hometown of Great Ayton, and cricket for Oxford University’s Second XI. He remained a lifelong supporter of Middlesbrough F.C. and, in later years, was a member of Surrey County Cricket Club at the Oval. David was also an avid traveller, whose curiosity about the world never faded.
David leaves behind his wife, Christine, his children Rachel and Peter, and his grandchildren Eliza, Aoife, Matthew, Henry and Tadhg. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. David will be sadly missed, remembered always, never forgotten.
