Chik is the Director of GCPH, taking up the position in January 2023.

Previously, Chik was the Rector (Principal/Vice Chancellor) of the University of the Faroe Islands, and prior to that he was Professor of Applied Social Science and a senior academic leader/manager at the University of the West of Scotland.

Chik has published on a wide range of topics, including language and social change, community development and urban policy. Between 2010 and 2017, he worked with the GCPH and others on a collaborative project focused on accounting for the problematic excess mortality in Scotland and in particular Glasgow.

During his time at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Chik co-founded and co-led the UWS-Oxfam Partnership - 'for a more equitable and sustainable Scotland'.

Chik is Visiting Professor in the School of Education and Social Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland, Affiliated Professor in the Faculty of History and Social Sciences at the University of the Faroe Islands, and Affiliated Professor in the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow.