Alan Merry practices in anaesthesia and chronic pain management at Auckland City Hospital, and is Head of the School of Medicine at the University of Auckland, Chair of the Board of the New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission and a board member of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists and the Lifebox Foundation. His research and publications reflect interests in medical law, human factors, patient safety and global health. He is an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.