An interview with Neil Vargesson.

Neil Vargesson is Professor of Developmental Biology at the University of Aberdeen, with particular expertise in angiogenesis during embryonic development and the impact of pharmaceutical drugs, such as thalidomide, that cause limb and embryonic differences. His advocacy, communication and advisory work around thalidomide embryopathy, Primodos and drug safety has supported affected patients and their families across the globe, as well as influencing government health policies worldwide. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 2021, Neil is the recipient of the 2026 British Society for Developmental Biology Wolpert Medal, which is awarded in honour of the late Lewis Wolpert for extraordinary contributions to the communication and teaching of developmental biology in the UK. Published to coincide with Lewis's birthday on 19 October, the following interview is a conversation with Neil about what the Wolpert Medal means to him as Lewis's last PhD student, his ethos and advice for doing science communication, as well as his outlook on the future of drug safety.