Emma Lowe

Emma works within the Science, Research and Evidence Directorate at the Department of Health and Social Care, and leads delivery of the cross-sector UK Clinical Research Recovery Resilience and Growth Programme.

Emma has an MSc in People and Organisational Development from the Roffey Park Institute, has held a variety of roles within the NHS and previously led the design and delivery of learning and workforce development programmes in the NIHR Clinical Research Network, including the NIHR’s Good Clinical Practice (GCP) programme.

Carys Thomas

Carys is the Head of R&D Policy at the Health and Social R&D Division in Welsh Government and oversees key strategic areas including NHS and social care R&D strategy and funding, industry engagement, digital, and public involvement and engagement.

Prior to joining Welsh Government in 2002, she was a senior researcher at the Home Office and has also worked in research roles at the Cabinet Office, and National Savings and Investments.

Martin Landray is Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health and Acting Director at the Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, UK. He leads the clinical trials programme for Health Data Research UK and NHS DigiTrials, the national health data hub for clinical trials. His research focuses on the use of digital technology and quality-by-design principles for large randomized trials of treatments for cardiovascular and kidney disease. He is co-chief investigator of the RECOVERY trial, the national priority platform trial of potential treatments for patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK.
Prof Landray is heavily involved in international efforts to streamline clinical trials and the guidelines and regulations that govern their conduct. He is a member of the European Society of Cardiology Regulatory Affairs Committee and leads the Good Clinical Trials Collaborative, supported by Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and African Academy of Sciences.

Dr Phillip Smith

Phillip has been Associate Director of Research and Development at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust since Nov 2015. During that time his leadership saw the development and successful implementation of the Trust’s Research Strategy which seeks to enhance patient experience and outcome through research and innovation. Phillip and Christine McGrath set-up the UKRD and NHS R&D Forum Finance Managers group which is seeking to increase ensure that we, as a nation, can make best use of research funding to support research.

Prior to this Phillip has worked for the National Institute for Health Research from 2008 to 2015. This followed a three year role as Assistant Director for Research and Intellectual Property for the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust (also covered Primary Care and Mental Health in Suffolk). Phillip has also delivered a number of other roles including: Visiting Professor at the University of Hertfordshire, Innovation Ambassador at the Eastern Academic Health Science Network, Co-chair of the NHS R&D Forum Strategy Group, National Governance Lead for the NIHR Clinical Research Network Pandemic Flu Coordinating Group, Senior Research Fellow within the Centre for Research in Health and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Scientific Officer for the Mid Essex NHS Research Ethics Committee.

Along the way Phillip has also applied his skills to the voluntary sector and spent 4 years as Chair of Governors for a local primary school.

Gillian Chater

A Chartered Management Accountant with over 35 years NHS Finance experience. Gillian worked in various Trusts in a number of roles – Head of Financial Management, Financial Accountant for Charitable Funds, Clinical Directorate Finance Manager, Assistant Finance Director for Financial Management and currently Assistant Finance Director for Research. Gillian is passionate about the future of the Finance function in the NHS, a Future Focussed Finance Value Maker, Finance and Clinical Educator and Skills Development Lead. Gillian develops finance teams to become effective business partners to service delivery managers to improve the quality and sustainability of healthcare services.

Susan Keenan

Susan entered the research arena as R&D Senior Finance Manager at University Hospital Southampton in 2014. Her responsibilities include the development and delivery of financial strategy and comprehensive financial management of R&D income and expenditure. She is a fully qualified chartered accountant with vast experience of working as financial lead within the public sector. In 2019 Susan established and is chair of the UK Finance Managers Group (URD / RD Forum) which is a professional community of NHS R&D Finance Managers. It was created specifically to explore and discuss topical and ongoing issues facing NHS R&D departments, how they impact on individual Trusts and the R&D community as a whole.