Professor Alastair Thompson graduated from the University of Edinburgh with Distinction in Surgery, and subsequently trained as a Clinician Scientist (including molecular studies of breast cancer) and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

He chairs the UK National Cancer Research Institute, Breast Clinical Studies Group (with oversight of all UK commercial or non-commercial clinical trials and studies in breast cancer), is on the Advisory Council of the Breast International Group and actively contributes, including as Chief Investigator, to a range of clinical trials in the prevention, early detection and therapy of breast cancer. He also chairs the London based Breast Cancer Campaign Breast Tissue Bank Board for the UK and Eire and the 10,000 patient UK National Audit of DCIS.

As Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Dundee, specialising in breast cancer, he leads a laboratory and clinical translational research programme at the Dundee Cancer Centre and is Dundee Lead for the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and Director of the Clinical Research Centre.