LifeArc is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sam Barrell, CBE, as Chief Executive Officer. Sam’s appointment follows an extensive international recruitment process.

Sam will join LifeArc from the Francis Crick Institute where she is currently Deputy CEO with responsibility for strategic management and operational leadership, as well as deputising for the Director, Sir Paul Nurse. She joined the Crick in 2017 as Chief Operating Officer.

Sam brings over 25 years of experience in the life science and healthcare sectors, and a wealth of knowledge of the activities in commercial, digital and health tech spaces which are critical to LifeArc’s strategy. She studied medicine, training as an anaesthetist and serving in General Practice for many years, and has held a number of senior leadership positions in the NHS, most recently as CEO of Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. She has served as a non-executive director of Assura plc and York Health Economics Consortium, and was a member of the advisory council of the King’s Fund. Sam received a CBE in 2014 for her services to healthcare.

Commenting on her appointment, Dr. Barrell said: “It is a great honour to be joining LifeArc at such an exciting time in its growth, with the pace and scale of scientific advance offering unparalleled opportunities to enhance healthcare outcomes for patients. LifeArc has a unique role to play in helping to translate scientific innovation and ideas into real benefits for patients, and I look forward to working with the talented teams at LifeArc and with its multiple collaborative partners to address unmet medical challenges.”

Dr. Ian Gilham, Chair of LifeArc, said: “Sam’s experience, energy and passion for life sciences and healthcare will be invaluable to LifeArc. Her leadership will drive the organisation forward, accelerating the discovery of more innovative therapies and bringing real impact to the patients who need it most. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to welcome Sam to LifeArc. We look forward working with her and the Executive Team to deliver our vision to make life science truly life-changing.

“We are also hugely grateful to Stéphane Maikovsky, who has held the role of Interim CEO since last October in addition to his existing responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer. Stéphane has led the organisation through a period of significant achievements, including a refreshed strategy, work on the Dementia Accelerator, continued investments in promising start-up companies, and our involvement in the PACE collaboration. The Board is pleased to announce that Stéphane will continue to share his expertise and leadership with the organisation in his new capacity as Deputy CEO of LifeArc in addition to his responsibilities as CFO.”

Sam will join LifeArc as CEO on October 1 2024, and Stéphane will continue to lead the organisation in his capacity as Interim CEO until then.

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For more information please contact:

Hannah Severyn

Head of Media & PR, LifeArc

Hannah.Severyn@LifeArc.org

About LifeArc
LifeArc is a self-funded, non-profit medical research organisation. We take science ideas out of the lab and help turn them into medical breakthroughs that can be life-changing for patients. We have been doing this for more than 25 years and our work has resulted in five licensed medicines and a diagnostic for antibiotic resistance.

Our teams are experts in drug and diagnostics discovery, technology transfer, and intellectual property. Our work is in translational science – bridging the gap between academic research and clinical development, providing funding, research and expert knowledge, all with a clear and unwavering commitment to having a positive impact on patient lives.

LifeArc, a charity registered in England and Wales under 1015243 and in Scotland under SC037861.