Gail ter Harr read Physics at Oxford University, and then went on take an MSc in Medical Physics at Aberdeen.  Following this she studied for her PhD under the supervision of Mary Dyson in the Anatomy Department of Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London.  She was awarded a DSc, a higher doctorate, on the basis of her published work by Oxford University in 1999.
Gail’s research interests have lain in the field of the interaction of ultrasound with tissue, and especially in the biological effects produced.  She has actively researched the safety of diagnostic ultrasound, and applications of ultrasound in therapy, both for physiotherapy and for the treatment of cancer.  She has been Chairman of the European Committee for Ultrasound Safety, and has been actively involved in writing safety standards for diagnostic ultrasound equipment.