Speakers

Virginia Acha	Biography: Virginia (Ginny) has worked in industry and academia throughout her career, combining interests in science policy research and innovation performance within and across organizations. She joined MSD in 2017 to lead regulatory policy efforts for innovation that will lead to better treatment for patients globally. Before joining MSD, Ginny was the senior spokesman for the industry in the UK for research, medical and innovation policy (including BREXIT). Previously, Ginny worked for Amgen in global regulatory policy and for Pfizer working on policy development in science and innovation in healthcare.

Lord Bethell	Biography: Lord Bethell is a Conservative Excepted Hereditary peer who has sat under this title in the Lords since 24 July 2018. His full title is The Lord Bethell, and his given name is James Nicholas Bethell. He currently holds the Government post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care).

Paul Blakeley	Biography: Paul leads on the delivery of health innovation policy, including oversight of the Accelerated Access Collaborative, which brings together leaders from across government, healthcare, regulators and industry to expedite patient access to the best new treatments and technologies. Paul also leads OLS involvement in clinical trials and research, working closely with colleagues in DHSC to develop the vision for the future of the UK clinical trials ecosystem. Paul is passionate about health with a background in human biology and extensive experience in project and programme management across a number of different government departments.

Yvette Cleland	Biography: Yvette Cleland CEO of Cpl Life Sciences, a global staffing firm and division of Irelands most successful recruitment companies, Cpl Resources Plc. In 2019 and again in 2020 Yvette was nominated by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) as one of the top 50 most powerful women in staffing globally. After eight years working in the pharmaceutical sector she moved to professional staffing and combines knowledge of both life sciences & staffing in her work at CPL. In 2012 she joined Clinical Professionals to scale the business for acquisition, drive growth and expand the brand portfolio and global foot print expanding into the US in 2017. Under her leadership the business was successfully acquired, launched the award winning Graduate Academies and CEO/CMO Biotech summits and was involved in the UK apprenticeship trailblazers. In 2019 she wrote a Parliamentary Review on life science skill shortages and her passion is addressing the growing skills gaps in life sciences.

Camilla Fleetcroft	Biography: After initially training as a doctor, Dr Camilla Fleetcroft joined the MHRA in 2013 as a clinical adviser in the Devices Division. In 2018, she moved to head of clinical investigations and clinical evaluation and in January this year took up the Interim Group manager post for the Devices Regulatory Group. The Devices Regulatory group are closely involved in the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill and are leading the Device Division’s work on Transition and the development of the future regulatory framework.

Matthew Hallsworth	Biography: Dr Matthew Hallsworth is Head of External Relations for the NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI). He leads on external stakeholder relations, including engagement with the bio-pharma industry. NOCRI works with companies to support collaboration with the expert investigators and research facilities funded by the UK Department of Health, from early-phase translational medicine through to later-phase clinical trials. Prior to NOCRI Matthew was Head of Communications at the UK Clinical Research Collaboration – a partnership of government, charities, industry, the NHS, academia, regulators and patients focused on improving the clinical research environment in the UK. Matthew has had Research Management roles at the medical charity Asthma UK and for the Department of Health’s National R&D Programme. During his earlier career Matthew was a Research Fellow in Respiratory Medicine at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, where he completed his PhD on inflammatory mechanisms in asthma and allergic disease.

Atholl Johnston	Biography: Professor Atholl Johnston is Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary’s, University of London, visiting Professor of Forensic Pharmacology and Toxicology at St George’s, University of London, and the Director of the laboratory of Analytical Services International Ltd. He is a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society, the Royal College of Pathologists, the Royal Society of Medicine, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, and the Royal Statistical Society. He is a Chartered Scientist, a European Registered Toxicologist, and a state registered Clinical Scientist. Professor Johnston has more than 35 years’ experience in the measurement of drugs as a guide to therapy. He has published over two hundred and sixty articles in peer-reviewed journals. Professor Johnston was a Founder member of CCRA and is currently its President.

Emma Lowe	Biography: Emma leads on clinical research policy for industry relations and growth. Her role includes supporting the implementation of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, enhancing the NIHR’s offer for Industry, and other areas of policy which contribute to making the UK the destination of choice for life sciences research. Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Emma leads the clinical research workstream of Life Sciences Sector Deal 2 and the development of the vision for the future of the UK clinical trials ecosystem. Emma has an MSc in People and Organisational Development from the Roffey Park Institute, has held a variety of roles within the NHS and previously led the design and delivery of learning and workforce development programmes in the NIHR Clinical Research Network, including the NIHR’s Good Clinical Practice (GCP) programme.

Janet Messer	Biography: Janet Messer is Director of Approvals Service at the Health Research Authority. She is responsible for the Research Ethics, Confidentiality Advice, Assessment and Assurance services, alongside the supporting guidance, advice and learning functions. Her team works collaboratively with a wide range of partner organisations to fulfil the HRA’s aims to make it easier to do good quality ethical research in the UK. Prior to working at the HRA she was Head of Research Management and Governance at the NIHR Clinical Research Network. She has a PhD in biochemistry from University of Cambridge and a Masters in Medical Law, along with many years’ experience of clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry and working with NHS R&D.

Martin O’Kane	Biography: Dr Martin O'Kane MRPharmS is Unit Manager of the Clinical Trials Unit in the Licensing Division of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). He studied pharmacy at University of Aston and after completing a PhD in pharmacology and post-doctorate neuroscience research project at the University of Glasgow, moved to Japan to work within the pharmaceutical industry. He joined the MHRA in 2005 as a Pharmacopoeial Scientist within the British Pharmacopoeia and moved to the MHRA Clinical Trials Unit as a Pharmaceutical Assessor in 2007. He became Unit Manager of the Clinical Trials Unit in November 2015 and has been actively involved in development of new clinical trials systems and procedures and well as the UKs exit from the EU.

William van't Hoff	Biography: Dr William van’t Hoff is the incoming Chief Executive Officer for NIHR Clinical Research Network from April 1st 2020. His previous post was as a Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist and Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. In that capacity he had strong clinical and research interests in renal tubular, metabolic and stone disorders. He has worked in NIHR since 2006, initially leading a London based NIHR Local Research Network and later as Co-Director of the NIHR CRN Medicines for Children Research Network. Key strategic objectives were to increase the involvement of life-sciences in offering new treatment options for children and to empower children and young people in improving research (which led to Generation R). He left this role in 2016, taking up a post of NIHR CRN Clinical Director for NHS Engagement, in which he led a partnership with NIHR, HRA, R&D community and patients, working with the CQC to integrate clinical research into their assessments of hospitals.