Lucy Chappell

Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Health and Social Care, And Chief Executive Officer, The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

Professor Lucy Chappell is Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the UK’s largest funder of health and care research. The Chief Scientific Adviser has overall responsibility for DHSC research and development and for supporting analysis and life sciences across the Department. Prof Chappell provides science advice to ministers across the range of health topics and is involved in cross-government science policy. Prof Chappell is also Professor of Obstetrics at King’s College London, working mainly in clinical trials in pregnancy, and a practising Consultant Obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Martin O'Kane

Regional Head of Regulatory Affairs EU Policy & Liaison, Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Martin O’Kane PhD is Regional Head of Regulatory Affairs EU Policy & Liaison at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, responsible for developing and implementing complex regulatory strategies in global development and enabling regulatory compliance. He is co-chair of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations (EFPIA) Clinical Trials Regulation Pillar and is a member of the BIA Regulatory Affairs Advisory Committee. Martin has seventeen years’ previous experience in medicines regulation working in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the majority of which was in the clinical trials field including scientific assessment of trial applications and development of policy, guidance, and legislation relevant to the UK’s exit from the EU and the UK response to COVID-19.