Nicola Perrin Chief Executive - Phone: 020 8078 6049 - Email: [email protected] Expand Nicola became Chief Executive of AMRC in 2021, having previously been a Trustee for five years. 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 setting up the Understanding Patient Data initiative. Nicola is also on the Boards of Genomics England and UK Biobank, and was awarded an MBE in New Year’s Honours 2020 for services to science.
Dr Catriona Manville Director of Research Policy - Phone: 020 8078 6047 - Email: [email protected] Expand Catriona leads on responsible research funding and policy issues relating to the research landscape. 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.
Louise Wren Director of External Affairs - Phone: 020 8078 6048 - Email: [email protected] Expand Louise joined AMRC in June 2023. She oversees external affairs at the AMRC and manages our relationship with key partners and supporters. Prior to joining the AMRC, Louise was Head of External Affairs at the Francis Crick Institute managing its policy, government affairs and external communications activities. She has also worked in policy and public affairs roles at Wellcome, the Medical Research Council and the BioIndustry Association. Outside of work, Louise is a patient adviser to UCLH and a member of its Person-Centred Care Committee.
Karen Hobbs Director of Membership and Operations - Email: [email protected] Expand Karen joined AMRC in July 2024 with a focus on providing support for AMRC current and prospective member charities, and liaising with external partners to support the smooth running of the charity. Karen’s prior experience comes from working in scientific membership organisations. She started her career as a member of the account management and technical support team at Lhasa Limited, a membership organisation and charity creating scientific software, and then moved to the Society of Chemical Industry where she was Head of Stakeholder Engagement with responsibility for engaging members in relevant networks and communities, and setting up a Corporate Network. She holds a Master’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of Liverpool.
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.
Liz Perraudin Clinical Policy Manager - Phone: 020 8078 6043 - Email: [email protected] Expand Liz joined AMRC in June 2023 as Clinical Policy Manager. She previously worked in the policy teams at AMRC member charities Versus Arthritis and Diabetes UK. Before that Liz worked as a parliamentary researcher. At AMRC Liz leads on our policy and influencing work around clinical research in the NHS and the responsible and transparent use of health data.
Dr Holly McConnell Research Policy Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6065 - Email: [email protected] Expand Holly joined AMRC in August 2023 as a Research Policy Officer. As a member of the Policy and Public Affairs team, she will primarily focus on Responsible Funding policy. After qualifying as a Veterinary Surgeon (BVSc, University of Liverpool), Holly completed a masters in Medical Law and Ethics at the University of Edinburgh where she discovered her passion for bioethics and health policy. She is committed to achieving health for all and the importance of ethics in policy and decision making.
Simon Turpin Policy Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6063 – Email: [email protected] Expand Simon joined AMRC in March 2022 as a Policy Officer. As a member of the Policy and Public Affairs team, he will be involved in work on clinical research, patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE), and animal research. Prior to joining the team he was Research Intern at the Health Foundation with a focus on PPIE and equality, diversity, and inclusion. Simon attended Leicester Medical School as an undergraduate, leaving with a BMedSci and a BSc in Human Behaviour, and completed an MSc in Psychological Studies at University of Glasgow in 2020.
Emily Heathward Policy Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6060 - Email: [email protected] Expand Emily joined AMRC in April 2023 as a Policy Officer. She has a background in genomics research with experience in both industry and academia, and previously worked as a senior scientist for a biotech in Cambridge. Prior to joining AMRC, Emily was an Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS)/Medical Research Council (MRC) policy intern in the Policy, Governance and Ethics team at the MRC. She carried out her graduate research in functional genomics at Imperial College London, with masters degrees from Imperial (MRes, 2017) and University College London (MSci, 2014).
Tom Bolton King Public Affairs Officer – Phone: 02080786046 – Email: [email protected] Expand Tom joined the AMRC in November 2023 and helps to deliver its programme of public affairs activities and engagement with key political stakeholders. Prior to joining, Tom worked at the public affairs and policy consultancy Evoke Incisive Health and completed an MA in Politics and Contemporary History at Kings College London.
Tehilloh Belovski Events Officer - 020 8078 6061 - Email: [email protected] Expand Tehilloh joined AMRC in August 2022 and became Events Officer in November 2023. She has a BA in Events Management from London Metropolitan University and has held various administrative roles previously. Her role at AMRC involves delivering a portfolio of events, webinars and workshops for AMRC member charities and the wider research community.
Leonora Bradley 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 and social media, and leading on copy-writing and design for publications. 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.
Ellen Hinkley Communications Manager - Phone: 020 4570 5493 - Email: [email protected] Expand Ellen joined the AMRC in December 2022. She 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 and social media, and leading on copy-writing and design for publications. Her background is in science communications and engagement, within both the consumer market and membership charities.
Juan Acevedo Project Officer - Phone: 020 8078 6062 - Email: [email protected] Expand Juan has a background in architecture and an MSc in Urban Development Planning at UCL completed in 2022. He has previous experience working as a site architect monitoring the construction of Universities, Hospitals and Public Schools nationwide in Colombia. As well as consultancy in data collection to refurbish workplace concepts and offices in England and the Netherlands.
Dan Worth Data and Insights Analyst - Phone: 020 8078 6045 - Email: [email protected] Expand Dan joined the AMRC in April 2023 as Data and Insights Analyst. He has a background in cell biology, with a PhD and many years’ postdoctoral experience in the field. Opting to leave the lab in 2014 to pursue other avenues, he has since had roles within the NHS and at the mental health charity, Mind in West Essex. He also recently completed a MSc Psychology course at the University of Essex.
Alyssa Moaveni Administration Officer - Phone: 02080786042 - Email: [email protected] Expand Alyssa joined AMRC in November 2023 as the Admin Officer. She has a BA in Archaeology from the University of Southampton and over three years of experience in admin support – working in both private and public sector organisations. Her role at AMRC involves diary management and general admin support for the team, as well as liaising with our external IT, HR, and Finance partners.
Julia Machalska Research and Strategy Lead for AI - Email: [email protected] Expand Julia joined the AMRC in April 2024 as the Research and Strategy Lead for AI Policy. Her role at AMRC is focused on exploring the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of AI by charities. She has a Master in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh and is on a six-month secondment from the Civil Service as part of the Government’s Science and Engineering Fast Stream development programme.