Gavin Kirk graduated from Wits Medical School in 1982. After a variety of hospital posts and a period in general practice in Durban, he embarked on a new direction by specialising in forensic pathology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He has a special interest in sudden deaths during sport but given the South African situation deals predominantly with cases of violent deaths from homicides and our roads.

After working as a specialist forensic pathologist in Durban for several years he transferred to Cape Town in 2008 and joined the Forensic Pathology Service of the Western Cape and the Division of Forensic Pathology & Toxicology at UCT. He is currently the Clinical Unit Head in the FPS West Metropole. Outside of work Gavin is a keen amateur photographer and traveller, now an armchair sports fan (having many years ago been a cricket umpire at first-class level) and loves listening to classical music while dreaming of an unfulfilled fantasy of conducting a symphony orchestra!