Professor Lucy Chappell FMedSci is the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), with overall responsibility for the department’s research and development, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the government’s major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research.
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 Chief Scientific Adviser role on secondment into government, while continuing some of her clinical and academic work.
DHSC Chief Scientific Adviser
Responsibilities include:
- overall responsibility for the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) research policies and budget, including being head of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
- supporting analysis and evidenced-based decision-making capacity in the department
- working with Chief Scientific Advisers across government to maximise the impact of science to benefit the UK population