Arthritis Research Campaign appoints new chief executive
The Arthritis Research Campaign (arc), the UK’s fourth largest medical research charity, has appointed Liam O’Toole as its new chief executive.
Dr O’Toole has played a leading role in many of the major changes that have taken place in the UK’s health and medical research landscape over the past ten years.
Since January 2007 he has been Head of the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR), a joint office funded by the Department of Health and the Department for Business Innovation Skills, set up to develop a more coherent strategic approach to publicly funded health research.
From 2004 until the end of 2008 Dr O’Toole was chief executive of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, a partnership of organisations working to establish the UK as a world leader in clinical research.
Before taking this role, Dr O’Toole was the first Administrative Director of the National Cancer Research Institute, an innovative partnership of the main funders of cancer research. Prior to this, he had 16 years’ experience of research management at the Medical Research Council and the British Diabetic Association (now Diabetes UK). He has a PhD in endocrinology.
The Arthritis Research Campaign is the country’s leading arthritis charity and funds research into all types of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. In the past financial year it raised more than £34m from public donations to fund its extensive research and educational portfolio.
Liam O’Toole said: “Arthritis is a major cause of disability in the UK and the burden of disease is growing. This is an exciting time for the charity. The Trustees have an ambitious vision for taking the charity forward and leading the fight against arthritis. Working together I believe we can really increase the impact the Arthritis Research Campaign has and maximise the benefits for those living with the disease.”
Chairman of the charity’s board of trustees, Charles Maisey, said: “Liam O'Toole comes to the Arthritis Research Campaign with enormous strengths in the areas of UK scientific research policy and high-level stakeholder management. We are delighted to have recruited him as chief executive at a key time in the charity’s development. He will lead our challenging strategic five-year plan which aims to accelerate the amount of research we fund, and make a real difference to the lives of the ten million people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions in the UK.”
Dr O’Toole will take up his post on 16th November 2009.