A former junior doctor and, until last year, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Dr Evan Harris is one of a handful of figures in our list to straddle the medical and political worlds.
He has served as an elected member of the BMA's Medical Ethics Committee since 1999, and while an MP was the Liberal Democrat science spokesperson for five years, and at one point the party's senior health spokesperson.
Despite losing his seat to the Conservatives at the last election, Dr Harris' influence shows no sign of waning, and in recent months he has become a rallying point for Liberal Democrats disillusioned with the Government's health reforms.
He has argued in the Guardian against the ‘further marketisation of the NHS', addressed the Liberal Democrat's spring conference and also spoke at the BMA's Special Representative Meeting in March.
This article appeared as part of Pulse's list of the top 20 most influential non-GPs of 2011. The full list can be found here.
The top 50 most influential GPs of 2011 can also be viewed here.
