Sir David Christopher Graham SkeggKNZMOBEFRSNZ (born 16 December 1947) is a New Zealand epidemiologist and university administrator. He is an emeritus professor in the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine at the University of Otago. He was the vice-chancellor of the university from 2004 to 2011 and president of the Royal Society of New Zealand from 2012 to 2015.[1] His primary research interest is cancer epidemiology.[2][3][4]
Returning to Otago, Skegg took up the departmental chair in Preventive and Social Medicine in 1980. He was the vice-chancellor of the university from 2004 to 2011. He was president of the Royal Society of New Zealand from July 2012[6] to 2015.
Skegg is also the leader of the Strategic Covid-19 Public Health Advisory Group, which has advised the New Zealand Government on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. In that capacity, he has advocated an eliminationist approach to containing the pandemic.[12] Under his leadership, the Committee advocated a phased approach towards reopening the country's borders, easing managed isolation requirements for certain travellers, and introducing pre-departure and rapid testing for travellers exiting and entering the country.[13][14]