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The Cabinet Secretary has announced the appointment of Professor Dame Angela McLean as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GSCA).
Dr Julia Wilson, Associate Director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said:
“We welcome the appointment of Professor Dame Angela McLean as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser. Scientific evidence is vital when informing policy and public health measures, as seen during the pandemic and our ongoing work to sequence thousands of SARS-CoV-2 genomes to help identify and track new Covid-19 variants. Plus, it is refreshing to see the first woman hold the role of Government Chief Scientific Adviser, which I’m sure will inspire more women and girls to explore careers in STEM.”
Sir Paul Nurse FRS FMedSci HonFREng, Director of the Francis Crick Institute, said:
“Congratulations to Professor Dame Angela McLean on her appointment as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser. We look forward to working with her to promote science and innovation across government departments and the cabinet, for the benefit of society. Her experience advising within the Ministry of Defence and strong background in biological and mathematical research, means she is well placed to champion R&D at the heart of government.
“As we enter an exciting new period for science in the UK, I would also like to extend my thanks to Sir Patrick Vallance, who worked tirelessly to embed evidence into policy making during the pandemic, and has built a strong foundation for the scientific and economic growth to come.”
Prof Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“I warmly welcome the appointment of Dame Angela McLean as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser. She brings with her a unique wealth of experience in both the theory of mathematical biology and crucially how to apply it to real life challenges and assessment of resilience and risk, and an impressive track record of leadership on science advice in government. The Academy looks forward to working with her to ensure that engineering and technology insights are at the heart of government policy making.”
Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said:
“On behalf of the Fellowship of the Royal Society, I would like to congratulate Dame Angela McLean on her appointment as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
“The role of science in our society has never been more important. In the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, and with huge progress still to be made on the big challenges of our time, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, Angela’s appointment is excellent news.
“Science is key to delivering growth, prosperity and improving lives.
“Angela is an outstanding scientist and a leader in the science community, who has a proven track record of advising the government on aspects of science and technology. With Angela at the helm, we can look forward to science being at the heart of the government’s agenda.”
Prof Sir Charles Godfray, Director, Oxford Martin School, Oxford University, said:
“This is really excellent news; Angela brings to the job huge expertise as a brilliant research scientist as well as enormous experience of the science-policy interface – she is an inspired choice”.
Prof Sarah Main, Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), said:
“Warmest congratulations to Prof Dame Angela McLean on her appointment as Government Chief Scientific Advisor. It is exciting to have someone with her depth of experience taking the helm in such a critical role for the sector and country. I am looking forward to working with her to put science and engineering at the heart of the UK’s future to improve people’s lives and livelihoods.”
Professor Dame Anne Johnson PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:
“I offer my warm congratulations to Professor Dame Angela McLean FRS on her appointment as the new Government Chief Scientific Advisor.
“Professor Dame Angela McLean FRS joins the Government at a pivotal time. Science is now at the heart of decision making, with the newly created Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and dedicated Secretary of State.
“Alongside her GCSA role, Professor Dame Angela McLean FRS will lead the Office for Science and Technology Strategy, which has a critical role in driving forward the UK’s ambitions to be a science superpower.
“The GCSA has an essential role in championing the opportunities that scientific research brings including leading innovation, boosting economic growth and improving the health of the nation. As we saw during the pandemic, research is vital for protecting the UK from future health threats. Professor Dame Angela McLean FRS brings a wealth of experience to this role, including her key contribution on the COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. Her previous role as Chief Scientific Advisor to the Ministry of Defence and her broad expertise in infectious disease epidemiology both place her well to best champion evidence-based decision making in Government.
“I look forward to working with her to build on the impressive legacy of Sir Patrick Vallance FRS FMedSci, continuing to tackle the challenges and opportunities for health research and the health of the public.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-government-chief-scientific-adviser-appointed
Declared interests
The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. As such, our policy is not to ask for interests to be declared – instead, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.