Alice Robertson Senior Research Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6060 - Email: [email protected] Expand Alice joined AMRC in June 2019. Her role as Senior Research Officer involves supporting and connecting AMRC members on issues related to research management and impact. She also supports the collecting, analysing and reporting on member data in order to demonstrate the investment and impact of the medical research charity sector as a whole. Alice studied Biomedical Science at King’s College London and has since worked in pharmaceutical market research and most recently as a Research and Communications Officer at a medical research charity.
Dr Catriona Manville Head of Policy - Phone: 020 8078 6047 - Email: [email protected] Expand Catriona is Head of Policy at the AMRC. In this role, she oversees the range of policy topics the team cover, from research and funding to clinical policy. Her driving aim is to ensure the best possible environment for research to be conducted in academic and clinical settings in the UK and deliver benefits to patients. Prior to joining AMRC, Catriona was a Research Leader at RAND Europe, an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to help improve policy and decision making through research and analysis. At RAND, Catriona led a large portfolio of research evaluation and research into societal impact, with a particular focus on evaluating national assessment systems. Clients included UK government departments, charities and industry, European institutions and other overseas governments. In addition, she has worked for NIHR in business intelligence, and the pharmaceutical industry in genetic toxicology. She holds a doctorate in biochemistry and genetics from Newcastle University.
Carol Bewick Director of Membership Engagement and Communications - Phone: 020 8078 6059 - Email: [email protected] Expand Carol and her team support the needs of our membership. She is responsible for keeping everyone informed and involved to deliver what works best for research charities. She leads on communications, all things digital, networks, events and income generation. Her background is in communications and engagement across sectors – from the Metropolitan Police Service, to the Arts Council and the nuclear industry, she has specialised in leading communication at times of change. She joined the charity sector in 2012 and has never looked back. Carol was most recently Director of External Affairs at Fight for Sight.
Claire Middleton Office Manager and PA to Chief Executive - Phone: 020 8078 6042 - Email: [email protected] Expand Claire is the PA and Office Manager at the AMRC, focusing on ensuring the smooth running of the office and supporting the Chief Executive. She also arranges the logistics for the Executive Council. Claire previously worked at Acorns Children’s Hospice based in the West Midlands and had various roles within the Ministry of Justice.
Eva Garritsen Senior Data and Impact Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6043 - Email: [email protected] Expand Eva joined the AMRC in January 2018. Her role as Senior Data and Impact Officer involves collecting, analysing and reporting on member data in order to demonstrate the investment and impact of the medical research charity sector as a whole. She also supports member charities in demonstrating how the research they fund makes a difference. Eva has a background in neuroscience and psychology and she completed an MSc in Stroke Medicine at UCL in 2017.
Gill Daniell Events Manager - Phone: 020 8078 6046 - Email: [email protected] Expand Gill joined the AMRC in July 2018 as the Events Lead, her role is to collaborate with each team to provide innovative, educational and motivating events to all those within the medical research community. With a diverse events background, Gill delights in producing memorable events, irrespective if they are intimate workshops or national conferences.
Grace Melvin Policy Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6065 – Email: [email protected] Expand Grace is AMRC’s Policy Officer who joined in October 2018. Working within the Policy and Public affairs team, she will be continuing AMRC’s work on charity registries, as well as taking a lead on AMRC’s future work on patient data and emerging technology. Grace has a background in biomedical science; with a BSc in Pharmacology from University of Leeds including an industrial year working in the drug development sector. Prior to joining AMRC, she worked at the International Alliance of Patients’ Organisations as Policy Intern focusing on patient-centricity.
Hilary Reynolds Interim CEO – Phone: 020 8078 6062 – Email: [email protected] Expand Hilary Reynolds has taken on the role of Interim CEO, having joined AMRC in November 2020 as senior project lead for policy development. Hilary joined the civil service in 1986 working in policy and operational roles at the social welfare, pensions and health departments, operating at Director level since 2000 and completing an MBA from Brunel University in 2003. Between 2008 -2011 she went on a 3 year secondment to the New Zealand government as Deputy Chief Executive at the Ministry for Social Development. She was the Director of Change for the Care Quality Commission 2013-15 and the Executive Director for Research Councils UK 2015-17. Hilary was awarded a CBE for her services to public policy and research in the New Year’s Honours 2018. She left public service in 2017 to take up the role of Executive Director for Strategy and Research with the Stroke Association during which time she was a member-elected Trustee of the AMRC. She has recently completed her maximum term as Trustee for ChanceUK, a London charity providing mentoring to children at risk of exclusion from school; and volunteers on her non-working Fridays at her local community high school.
Dr Jocelyn LeBlanc Research, Data and Impact Manager - Phone: 020 8078 6048 - Email: [email protected] Expand Jocelyn joined the AMRC in 2017. She oversees the collection, analysis and publication of sector data to demonstrate the scale of charity investment in medical research and highlight the impact of this research on people and society. She coordinates several working groups to support and connect AMRC members on issues related to research management and impact. She also leads on the Researchfish and AMRC Open Research projects. Jocelyn has a background in medical research. After earning her PhD in neuroscience from Harvard Medical School, she spent several years as a research fellow at Boston Children's Hospital studying brain development. Her work with children and families affected by neurodevelopmental disorders inspired her to pursue a career in the medical research charity sector.
Leonora Neale Communications Manager - Phone: 020 8078 6044 - Email: [email protected] Expand Leo focuses on strengthening communications with our member charities, and the wider research and policy communities. Her key responsibilities include writing the fortnightly member e-newsletter, managing website content, leading on copy-writing for marketing materials and publications, and managing AMRC's social media platforms. Her background is in communications and engagement across the healthcare sector - from public relations for pharmaceutical companies to public engagement for a medical research institute. Leo joined the AMRC in 2016.
Dr Mehwaesh Islam Research Policy Manager - Phone: 020 8078 6064 - Email: [email protected] Expand Mehwaesh joined the AMRC in 2019. Her role as Research Policy Manager involves analysing and communicating research and innovation policy and its implications for member charities. She leads on AMRC’s work to drive responsible funding practices across the membership including the future of peer review, research value and reproducibility, research policy elements of diversity, inclusion, anti-bullying and harassment. She also leads on AMRC’s engagement with the NHS Long Term Plan on research and innovation ensuring the unique contribution of medical research charities is recognised. Prior to joining the AMRC, Mehwaesh worked as a Policy Officer at the Academy of Medical Sciences. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Imperial College London.
Nicola Perrin Director of Policy and Public Affairs - Phone: 020 8078 6049 - Email: [email protected] Expand Nicola leads the Policy and Public Affairs team, covering for Nisha Tailor while she is on maternity leave. She oversees AMRC’s work to influence the research and funding landscape, and to build networks across government and the life sciences sector. Her background is in policy, strategy and engagement. Nicola was at Wellcome for fifteen years, where she led the policy team. She has had a particular focus on ensuring responsible use of patient data, including establishing the Understanding Patient Data initiative. Nicola was a Trustee of AMRC from 2014-2019 and was awarded an MBE in New Year’s Honours 2020 for services to science.
Rohan Bundell Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6045 - Email: [email protected] Expand As part of the Policy and Public Affairs team, Rohan is Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the AMRC. He coordinates the All Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research, which the AMRC provides the Secretariat for. Rohan has a background in the life sciences, having studied BSc Biology at the University of Bath, before moving on to study an MA in Public Policy at King’s College London. Prior to joining the AMRC, Rohan spent 4 months working as a Policy and Communications intern at the charity Sue Ryder, conducting research into the structural changes currently taking place in the NHS. Over the same period, Rohan also worked as a Research and Campaigns volunteer with Citizens Advice Westminster, working on social policy issues.
Tom Baggaley Policy Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6063 - Email: [email protected] Expand Tom is a Policy Officer at the AMRC, focusing on clinical research, and Brexit monitoring. Tom has previously worked as a Data Manager at UCLH within the Cancer Clinical Trials Unit and as a Policy Advisor Intern at CRUK leading on the impact of capital funding shortages on cancer care. Tom has an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics of Health at UCL and a BSc in Applied Biology at Northumbria University.