Matt Westmore joined the Health Research Authority (HRA) as Chief Executive in February 2021. Since taking up the role, he has led the organisation’s transformation to focus on making the UK the easiest place in the world to do excellent health and social care research that people can trust. Under his leadership, the HRA has focused on supporting a health and social care research system that stays fit for the future and helps the UK economy grow.
Matt has a background in research funding, policy, and practice. Prior to joining the HRA, he held senior leadership roles at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), including as an executive director of an NIHR national coordinating centre, interim director of INVOLVE—the NIHR’s centre for patient and public involvement—and led the team that developed the NIHR Dissemination Centre. He also established an international forum of health research funders focused on increasing the value of publicly funded research. Matt was Director of the Wessex Institute at the University of Southampton, the University’s largest business and consultancy unit, where he was Professor of Healthcare Enterprise. He has made a significant contribution to research transparency policy in the UK and internationally. Matt is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southampton and holds a PhD in high-energy astrophysics. He began his career training as a medical physicist in the NHS and worked as a medical physicist and Technical Director for a medical devices company.