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Press release

Professor Kevin Shakesheff appointed as NC3Rs Board Chair

Professor Kevin Shakesheff standing against the wall

Professor Kevin Shakesheff has been appointed as Chair of the NC3Rs Board from 1 January 2020.

As NC3Rs Board Chair, Kevin will help to shape the NC3Rs strategy and promote the UK’s position at the forefront of 3Rs research and development.

Kevin is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Science at the University of Nottingham and Chair of the University’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body. He is Professor of Advanced Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering and Director of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform Hub for Acellular Technologies. Kevin has published over 250 papers, focusing on regenerative medicine and applying tissue engineered models in vitro in drug discovery and safety profiling, technologies that are key to advancing the 3Rs.

Kevin replaces Professor Stephen Holgate CBE, University of Southampton, whose tenure as Board Chair ends after six years.

Dr Vicky Robinson CBE, NC3Rs Chief Executive, said, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing Chair, Professor Stephen Holgate for all of his support. Stephen is a hard act to follow, but I am excited about Kevin’s appointment. Kevin has a long-standing commitment to the 3Rs and shares the NC3Rs vision of working collaboratively to deliver meaningful 3Rs impacts that benefit animals, science and industry."

On his appointment, Kevin said, "I’m very pleased to be appointed as the NC3Rs Board Chair. I remember the NC3Rs being set up 15 years ago and it has been very interesting watching it grow into an organisation that is recognised nationally and internationally for its science and impact on the 3Rs. There are an increasing number of cutting-edge technologies available with 3Rs potential and I am very much looking forward to working with the NC3Rs team and Board to champion these."

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the major core funder of the NC3Rs. Professor Fiona Watt, Executive Chair of the MRC, said, "The MRC is highly committed to the principles of the 3Rs and is proud to provide core funding for the NC3Rs. We are delighted that Kevin has been appointed as the NC3Rs Board Chair and wish him every success in helping the NC3Rs deliver its mission, and in driving forward the vital work to maintain the UK’s position as a world leader in 3Rs research and development."

Watch the video below to learn more about what Kevin plans to achieve in his tenure as NC3Rs Board Chair.

 

More information about our Board, including four new members appointed in 2019, can be found on our Board members page.

About the NC3Rs:

The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) is a leading independent scientific organisation dedicated to replacing, refining and reducing the use of animals in research and testing (the 3Rs). It supports the UK science base by driving and funding innovation and technological developments that minimise the need for animals in research and testing, and lead to improvements in welfare where animals continue to be used. It funds research, supports training and development, and stimulates changes in regulations and practice.

Primarily funded by Government, the NC3Rs is also supported by the charitable and private sectors. It works with scientists in universities and industry in the UK and internationally.

Further information can be found at: www.nc3rs.org.uk @nc3rs

About Professor Kevin Shakesheff:

Kevin is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Science at the University of Nottingham and Chair of the University’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body. He is Professor of Advanced Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering and Director of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform Hub for Acellular Technologies. Kevin has published over 250 papers, focusing on regenerative medicine and applying tissue engineered models in vitro in drug discovery and safety profiling, technologies that are key to advancing the 3Rs.

Following a PhD at Nottingham, Kevin took up a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship at MIT before returning to Nottingham in 1997. In 2001 he was appointed to a Professorship and in 2013 he became a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award Holder. He was a Sub-Panel Member for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) for 2014. Kevin is a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Royal Society of Biologists, and in 2014 he was selected as one of the 10 most inspirational scientists in the UK by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (RISE Leader Award).