United Kingdom
November 30, 2015
Professor Jackie Hunter will step down from her role as Chief Executive of BBSRC to take up an opportunity as Chief Executive of the artificial intelligence and drug discovery firm, Stratified Medical.
Prof Hunter will remain in post until the end of February 2016 and will lead BBSRC during the process of allocating Research Council budgets following last week’s Spending Review.
Prof Hunter said: “I have hugely mixed emotions in making this move. The opportunity to join Stratified Medical was one I could not pass up. This role allows me to draw on my previous experience in the pharmaceutical industry and to help the company take the next step in making a difference to many lives.
“This move means leaving my colleagues at BBSRC, which I will do with a heavy heart. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved over the last two years. Together we have established the concept of the UK bioeconomy, maintained the UK’s global leadership in the biosciences, delivered £100M+ award winning projects on time and budget, driven the upcoming strategy for plant and animal health and furthered the inclusion and diversity agenda within the Research Councils.
“I intend to have relentless focus over the next three months on a number of projects that I believe are important to the future of UK bioscience, including securing BBSRC’s budget through the allocation process and contributing to Research Council engagement with the recommendations of the Nurse Review.”
Chair of BBSRC Council, Sir Gordon Duff, said: "Jackie Hunter has done an outstanding job in guiding BBSRC successfully through a challenging period, and setting it on a pathway to ensure its major contribution to the science base of the UK. She is universally admired for her creative and effective leadership, her strategic insight and her dedication to serving the people of this country and beyond. She will be sadly missed at BBSRC and in the public sector generally. On behalf of BBSRC Council, we wish her all success and fulfilment in her new post as Chief Executive of Stratified Medical where she will undoubtedly make the same positive impact as she made at BBSRC, and indeed throughout her career."
At the Spending Review on 25 November, the government announced that it would protect the science budget in real terms during this parliament.
BBSRC will announce interim arrangements to cover the position of Chief Executive from March in due course.
Stratified Medical is a London-based company utilising artificial intelligence technology alongside human drug discovery experts to increase the reach and speed of drug discovery.
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