Governance

Governing Board

The Governing Board was established by the Council’s funders in 2017. It is responsible for reviewing and challenging the work of the Council, providing assurance that the Council is operating within its remit and is committing expenditure in line with the terms of the funding grant and the goals of the Strategic Plan. Specifically, the Governing Board approves topic selections, budget and annual work plans, and oversees risk management and financial operations. The Governing Board meets twice a year with the Council’s Chair and Director in attendance.

The Chair of the Governing Board and its other members are independent and appointed and remunerated by the funders.

View a register of the Governing Board’s interests.

Members of the Governing Board

Brian Scott (Chair)

Since finishing as chief executive of Oxfam Ireland, Brian Scott has concentrated on serving on a range of non-profit boards in overseas related education and health activities, and is Chairperson at the Meningitis Research Foundation. He has also served for seven years as non-executive director of one of Northern Ireland government departments involved in further and high education and vocational training.

Graham Hart

Graham Hart is Professor of Sexual Health and HIV Research at University College London (UCL) and Co-Director of UCL Health of the Public. Graham is currently: Co-Chair of the MRC/DfID African Research Leader Scheme; Chair of the MRC Public Health Intervention Development (PHIND) Panel; Member of the MRC Population Health Strategy Group and Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Katherine Littler

Katherine is the Co-Lead of the Global Health Ethics & Governance Unit at the World Health Organisation

Vivienne Parry

Vivienne Parry is a science journalist and author, who hosts medical programmes for Radio 4, writes widely on health, presents films, and facilitates high level conferences and debates. She is currently employed as Head of Engagement at Genomics England and is on the board of UK Research & Innovation.

Membership Committee

Chaired by an external chair, the Membership Committee considers and makes recommendations to the Council on future membership.

Sarah Guerra (Chair)

Sarah Guerra is the Director of King's College London’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. She spearheads their strategic vision for diversity, equality and inclusion for the whole campus community.

She has instigated a suite of strategic projects to revolutionise attitudes towards equality, diversity and inclusion, championed the use of data to build an evidence base for all activity and is supporting King’s in realising its 'inclusion journey'.

In addition to her work at King's, she sits on the Research Excellence Framework's Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel as well as the AdvanceHE's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

A born and bred black Londoner and mother of four daughters in a blended family, Sarah has worked in Diversity & Inclusion in several organisations in other sectors including being a Non-Executive Director of the Civil Service Race Forum.

Dave Archard

Chair of the Council, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Queen’s University Belfast.

Frances Flinter

Member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and Emeritus Professor of Clinical Genetics at Guy’s & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust.

Elaine Gadd

Member of the Nuffield Council on Beiothics and former Consultant Psychiatrist, with extensive experience in national and international bioethics policy.

Anne Kerr

Member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and Professor of Sociology and Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow.

Brian Scott

Member of the Council’s Governing Board, Chairperson at Meningitis Research Foundation.

Other Council Members are co-opted onto the subgroup depending on the expertise required for each particular meeting.