Professor of Mathematics at Queen Mary, University of London from 1987 to 2006. His particular interests lie in model theory and he is the author of numerous books on logic.
He attended New College, Oxford, where he received degrees in both Literae Humaniores and (Christianic) Theology. In 1970 he was awarded a doctorate for a thesis in Logic. He lectured in both Philosophy and Mathematics at Bedford College, University of London. He has held visiting appointments in the department of philosophy at the University of California and in the department of mathematics at University of Colorado.
He was President of the British Logic Colloquium and of the European Association for Logic, Language and Information. In 2009 he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy.