Medical Research Foundation appoints new Chair

Professor Moss will take over from Professor Nicholas Lemoine CBE, who has served as our trustee since 2011 and became Chair in 2015.

Professor Lemoine was awarded a CBE in 2022’s New Year Honours List, recognising his services to clinical research and in particular his leading role in orchestrating the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout his tenure as Chair, Professor Lemoine has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities, steering the Foundation and its linked charities through periods of rapid growth, while providing vital governance expertise. He has also helped to maximise our impact on health, for instance by supporting the establishment of HCV Research UK, a clinical research database and biobank containing samples from 12,000 patients with hepatitis C. This funding laid the foundations for clinical trials that have now shown hepatitis C to be a curable disease.

Professor Nicholas Lemoine CBE said: “It’s been an immense privilege to serve initially as a trustee, then as Chair of the Foundation, and I’m delighted to be handing the reins to someone of such stature.”

“Paul is an enormously experienced doctor and scientist, whose leadership on coordinating immunology research across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic helped to save many lives. He is highly dedicated to the development and training of early career researchers and clinicians, which aligns perfectly with the Foundation’s own commitment to supporting the next generation of research leaders.”

Professor Moss is an international figure in translational human immunology. He was awarded an OBE in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to immunotherapy and COVID-19 research, having led the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium to understand the immune response to SARS-CoV-2.

He is Professor of Haematology within the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham and Deputy Head of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences.

Professor Paul Moss OBE said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Foundation at such an exciting time, with ambitious plans to invest £50 million in life-changing new research by 2029, focusing on some of the biggest threats to human health.”

“The charity plays an extremely important role in the UK’s broader research landscape, by finding and funding the brightest and best researchers, in areas of health that are often overlooked by other funders. Its support for the next generation of research leaders is also noteworthy, awarding funding at a critical stage in scientists’ careers and ensuring they can continue to drive forward life-changing medical research both now and in the future.”

Dr Angela Hind, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Foundation, said: “It has been a huge personal honour to have worked so closely with Nick for over a decade. He has expertly guided our charity through a sustained period of rapid growth and ensured that it is built on solid governance foundations. He has been an exceptional trustee and Chair of the Foundation, and his commitment to medical research is unsurpassed.”

“Paul joins us as we move into a new, mature phase of development for the charity, and I’m confident that together we will ensure the Foundation has an even greater impact on human health. There is bright optimism in our future as a charity, and I’m honoured to have the opportunity to work closely with Paul to determine that future.”