Michael Pittilo, principal and vice-chancellor of Robert Gordon University

MIKE Pittilo was a principal whose inspirational leadership earned Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University the accolade of best modern university in the UK.

And it was an honour achieved in only four years at the helm of the institution where, although he had been suffering from cancer for some time, he continued to work until just days before his death.

He took up the position of principal and vice-chancellor in September 2005 and insisted that everyone called him Mike rather than Professor Pittilo, something that symbolised his warmth and openness with staff, students and everyone else he met.

One of his key initiatives was to develop closer links with both the University of Aberdeen and Aberdeen College. In 2008, Aberdeen College became an associate college of Robert Gordon University (RGU), a model which, at the time, was unique in Scotland. It has benefited students of both organisations.

Always a great believer that quality research was an important part of a good university, Professor Pittilo was instrumental in guiding the university's research strategy. Investment of significant resources increased both the number and the quality of researchers at the university. As a result, it achieved outstanding results in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008, with more than 70 per cent of its research classified as of international quality.

However, his main ambition was for the university to fully realise its potential and be recognised consistently as one of the best modern universities in the UK. This aim was achieved when RGU was quoted as the best modern UK university in the Times Good University Guide for 2009 and 2010.

Edinburgh-born, he was educated at Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow, and the University of Strathclyde. He worked briefly as an electron microscopist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary before becoming an Agriculture Research Council research assistant at North East London Polytechnic, where he completed a PhD in 1981 on protozoan parasites of poultry.

After postdoctoral research on arterial disease at the University of London, he was appointed to Kingston University, where he became head of life sciences. In 1995, he became foundation dean of the faculty of health and social care sciences at Kingston University and St George's Medical School (University of London). He was appointed pro vice-chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire in 2001, where his responsibilities included academic planning, quality assurance and learning and teaching, along with the establishment of a postgraduate medical school and a school of pharmacy.

His impressive achievements resulted in an extraordinary array of letters after his name – BSc PhD CBiol FIBiol FIBMS FRSH FLS FRSA MBE – the last of these awarded in the 2009 New Year Honours List for his services to health.

He also held a number of additional roles; he chaired Department of Health working groups, and was a trustee of the Prince of Wales's Foundation for Integrated Health. Never one to shy away from controversial academic topics, his report to ministers from the Department of Health steering group on "Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and other Traditional Medicine Systems" remains one of the most downloaded publications from the Universities Institutional Repository.

Pittilo was a member of the executive committee and main committee of Universities Scotland and convener of the learning and teaching committee. He had been Universities UK representative to a number of groups, including Women in Academic Medicine and the Skills for Health Group reviewing careers in biomedical science.

In Aberdeen, he was patron of the British Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Aberdeen branch, and honorary president of the Aberdeen History Society. He was also a member of the North-east committee of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, a non-executive director of Scottish Enterprise Grampian and the of the Scottish Traditional Skills Centre and was on the board of Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future.

Professor Sir Duncan Rice, principal and vice-chancellor of Aberdeen University, said: "Mike's leadership of RGU was outstanding and, as a result, the North-east and Scotland have much to be grateful to him for."

Prof John Harper, acting principal of RGU, said: "We've lost an inspirational leader who will be sadly missed not only for the direction he brought to the university but also the warm rapport he had with both staff and students."

Pittilo, who was the author of various publications on parasitology and atherosclerosis, enjoyed pursuits away from academia, including hillwalking, photography and clay pigeon shooting.

He is survived by his wife, Dr Carol Blow, a GP.

ALISON SHAW