Jon Friedland appointed to the UK Health Security Agency’s advisory board
Published: 04 May 2022
St George's, University of London’s Deputy Principal (Research & Enterprise), Professor Jon Friedland, has been appointed as a Non-Executive Member of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the next three years.
UKHSA is responsible for protecting the public from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents and other health threats. It provides intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at a national and local level, as well as on the global stage to make the nation’s health secure.
Professor Friedland will become one of five new Non-Executive Members appointed to the advisory board, alongside three Associate Non-Executive members.
Non-Executive Members will provide impartial oversight and advice to the UKHSA’s chair, Ian Peters and Chief Executive Officer Dame Jenny Harries, helping the organisation to deliver its strategic objectives.
Professor Friedland said, "It is a real privilege and an honour to join the UK HSA board and I am very much looking forward to working with the team. Health Security is crucial as demonstrated by the pandemic and HSA has an important remit.”
Professor Friedland’s major research interests are in the development of host mediated therapies targeting innate immune responses in tuberculosis and in migrant health. He has published over 245 peer reviewed papers, invited editorials and reviews, and edited 3 books.
Jon Friedland was awarded the Royal College of Physicians Weber-Parkes Prize Medal for research in tuberculosis in 2005. He was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2008. He was elected President of the British Infection Society (2007-09). He was made Fellow of the Royal College of Physician of Ireland (FRCPI) in 2010.
In 2017, he was awarded an inaugural Fellowship of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and in 2020, was elected to serve on the Society Executive Committee where he is Scientific Affairs Officer.
Jon Friedland has just completed his term as Vice-Chair for the Commission for Human Medicines and 8 years as Chair of the MHRA Expert Advisory Group on Infection. In 2020, he was appointed Chair of the Commission of Human Medicines Expert Working Group on Covid-19 which he continues to lead.
UKHSA chair, Ian Peters said: “We’re delighted to confirm the appointment of our non-executive members and associates to the new UKHSA Advisory Board and its committees.
“These new non-executive members are a diverse group who have been selected to bring a wide range of expertise, perspectives and thinking styles. I am really pleased that we have attracted such a high calibre group and I am sure they will add tremendous value both collectively and individually.
“I look forward to working with them as we establish UKHSA in the next phase of its development.”
UKHSA Chief Executive, Dame Jenny Harries said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome our new colleagues to the UKHSA. As we learn to live with Covid and navigate complex and newly emerging health threats, I am hugely grateful for the time and experience that our new board members will provide to help us keep the nation’s health secure.
“I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”