News
New Chair and Members of the Human Genetics Commission
28 January 2009
The Human Genetics Commission (HGC) has a new Chair and five new members. The appointments were announced today, 28 January, by Health and Science Ministers.
The new Chair will be Professor Jonathan Montgomery, Professor of Health Care Law at the University of Southampton and Chair of Hampshire Primary Care Trust. Professor Montgomery takes up the appointment on 1 February.
The new members are Professor Tim Aitman, Professor of Clinical and Molecular Genetics at Imperial College London; Professsor Tom Baldwin, Professor of Philosophy, University of York; Mrs Nicola Drury, Genetic Counsellor for the Nottingham Regional Clinical Genetics Service; Professor Anneke Lucassen, Professor of Clinical Genetics and Honorary Consultant Clinical Geneticist, University of Southampton Cancer Sciences division and Wessex Clinical Genetics Service; and Dr Duncan McHale, Vice President, Translational Science, AstraZeneca. An existing Commissioner, Mr Alastair Kent, was reappointed for an additional term of membership.
Accepting his appointment, Professor Montgomery paid tribute to the “excellent work” done by Baroness Helena Kennedy, who chaired the HGC from its establishment in 1999 until 2007, and Sir John Sulston, who has led the Commission since 2007, bringing it successfully through an independent review.
In commenting on the appointments Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, and Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Drayson, drew attention to the continuing importance of the HGC’s role in addressing the ethical challenges raised by developments in genetics and building public confidence in the use of genetic knowledge to bring health and other benefits.
Appointments to the Human Genetics Commission were made by the Appointments Commission, following open public competition in late 2008.
The announcement can be accessed from the Department of Health website.
Further information about all HGC Commissioners can be found at: About HGC > Our members
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