Earlham Institute appoints new Board Chair and Trustee

Professor Smith succeeds Professor Peter Holland, who has rotated off the Board after five years as a Trustee Director. Gillian Fairfield’s appointment was confirmed in December and she will apply her extensive non-executive and legal expertise to the organisation’s governance.

The Earlham Institute is led by the Board of Trustee Directors, which comprises experienced individuals with backgrounds in science, finance, legal, and commercial areas relevant to the Institute’s work.

The Board is supported by the Institute’s Director, Executive Team, and the Senior Management Team.

Professor Deborah Smith joined the Earlham Institute’s Board as a Trustee Director in 2021. She has a research career spanning molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and genomics - with a focus on the translation of fundamental research to drug and vaccine development.

Gillian Fairfield is a corporate lawyer and experienced non-executive director, with over 25 years of working in corporate finance and helping companies with their growth, development, and strategy.

Her current executive role is as General Counsel at Cancer Research UK along with their research innovation engine, Cancer Research Horizons.

Professor Neil Hall, Director of the Earlham Institute, said: “In Deborah we have a proven leader with in-depth knowledge of both the Institute and the life science research ecosystem. I’m looking forward to working with her and the rest of the Board to drive forward our science, technology, training, and innovation.

“We’re delighted to welcome Gillian to the Board. She brings a wealth of experience and new perspectives, which will be invaluable as we deliver against our strategic programmes of research.

“I also want to pay tribute to the enormous contribution made by Professor Peter Holland during his tenure. We wish him the very best for the future.”

Professor Deborah Smith trained as a biochemist at the University of Southampton and carried out postdoctoral work at MRC Mill Hill, NIH Bethesda (USA), and Imperial College London, before joining the academic staff at Imperial.

She went on to establish the Centre for Immunology and Infection at the University of York, head-up their Biology Department, and then be appointed as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, leading the University into REF2021.

Professor Smith has chaired the Medical Research Council Infection and Immunity Board, the Wellcome Trust Science Interview panel, been a member of the Wellcome Trust/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowships committee, and the Council of Research England. She has also participated extensively in evaluation of international research programmes.

Professor Smith said: “It will be a privilege to chair the Earlham Board after 3 years as a non-executive Trustee. The Institute goes from strength to strength in its activities, pioneering some of the most challenging areas of research and innovation, and communicating the new information generated externally, to enhance collaboration and partnership. I look forward to exciting times ahead”.

Prior to joining Cancer Research UK, Gillian Fairfield was a corporate partner in law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, where she was cited in Chambers as a leading practitioner for corporate and mergers & acquisitions.

Her non-executive roles include being a Trustee on the Investment Committee of the National Trust for Scotland and a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of Cranfield School of Management.

She has also served as a Non-Executive Director for the FTSE-listed mining company Lonmin plc, where she was a member of their Remuneration, Nomination, Social, Ethics, and Transformation Committees.

On her appointment, Gillian Fairfield said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board of the Earlham Institute as it plays a pivotal role in genomics and bioinformatics and executes its strategic research themes. I look forward to working closely with the other Board directors in the next phase of the Earlham Institute’s important and impactful work.”