23 July 2026

What is your role?

I am currently covering a secondment as Acting Director of Strategic Delivery (Health & Life Sciences) at King’s College London. This involves working closely with Prof Graham Lord, Senior Vice-President Health & Life Sciences at the university and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners.  

We work with the wider senior leadership team to establish the strategic context for critical projects and initiatives, and to ensure alignment, prioritisation, and successful completion across the university. Typically, these issues or initiatives will involve working across multiple faculties and with partners, such as the NHS Foundation Trusts of King’s Health Partners (KHP).

I also oversee the work of the King’s Clinical Academic Training Office, which offers guidance, funding opportunities, professional development programmes and events for research-active health professionals working across KHP.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I most enjoy bringing multidisciplinary initiatives together around a shared purpose that none of us could deliver alone. Many health challenges require expertise from different organisations and disciplines, so it is rewarding to connect researchers, clinicians and partners to create solutions that have real impact. Seeing a new idea develop into a successful partnership or worthwhile programme is particularly fulfilling.

What inspired you to get into this work?

My career began in public sector biomedical research, followed by national research funding and strategy, and later in the pharmaceutical sector. This combined experience exposed me to a range of systems, partnerships and leadership needed to translate discoveries into impact. I realised that some of the greatest opportunities and most interesting outcomes come from connecting people and organisations with complementary strengths.

How does your work impact the lives of patients/communities?

While I do not work directly with patients, the remit of my role is to create and facilitate conditions that ensure research and innovation deliver meaningful benefits for patients and local communities.

What is the benefit of working in partnership?

Partnership working allows us to tackle challenges at a scale that would be impossible for any single organisation. Universities contribute world-leading research and education, NHS partners also bring clinical expertise and patient insight.  

When these perspectives come together, we create opportunities for learning, innovation and shared problem-solving, and can solve complex challenges more effectively and move more quickly from ideas to impact.

What would be your career top tip?

Stay curious and build strong relationships. Some of the best opportunities come from listening to and learning from different perspectives and being open to different approaches. Technical expertise is important, but collaboration and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone can open unexpected doors. Always keep sight of the difference you want your work to make.