Prof. Lucy Chappell appointed as new Chief Scientific Adviser for Department of Health and Social Care

The appointment of Professor Lucy Chappell FMedSci as the next Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) follows a competitive recruitment process chaired by the Civil Service Commissioner.

As Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Chappell will lead the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), working in partnership with the Director of DHSC’s Science Research and Evidence directorate. She will have responsibility for research policy, research management and delivery of the £1.3 billion research budget.

The Chief Scientific Adviser is a Director General level Civil Service appointment in the Department of Health and Social Care and plays a leading role in enabling the government to harness the power of health research and analysis to:

• transform the delivery of services
• improve health outcomes
• drive economic growth through life sciences
• underpin the UK’s international science capability

Reporting to the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Scientific Adviser provides science advice and analysis to ministers across the range of health topics and is involved in cross-government science policy.

Professor Chappell is Professor of Obstetrics at King’s College London, Honorary Consultant Obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and an NIHR Senior Investigator. She will undertake the CSA role on secondment into government, while continuing some of her clinical and academic work. Professor Chappell will take up the post in August 2021.

Professor Lucy Chappell, incoming Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care, said:

I am very pleased to be appointed as the next Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care. At a time when the health and social care communities have worked so hard in response to the pandemic, I see it as an enormous opportunity to help shape the next stages of improving lives through science and research in the UK. I am excited at the prospect of working with many excellent colleagues around the country towards this common goal.

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer and current Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care, said:

Professor Chappell has an excellent track record of leading wide-ranging collaborative research with national and international impact to improve health outcomes for the public and patients. She has a close involvement with NIHR. I am very pleased that she will be taking on the Chief Scientific Adviser role and look forward to working with her in my ongoing role as Chief Medical Officer. The Chief Scientific Adviser works with remarkable people in NIHR, academia, the life sciences sector and across government and I hope Professor Chappell enjoys it as much as I have.

Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, said:

Congratulations to Professor Lucy Chappell, who has been appointed the new Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care. She is a talented scientist, researcher and expert in her field with specialist knowledge in obstetrics. Her experience leading research programmes designed to improve health outcomes for the public and patients will be a great asset in this role. I look forward to working with Professor Chappell and giving her a warm welcome to the CSA network.