Patrick Vallance

The Lord Vallance of Balham
Official portrait, 2024
Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation
Assumed office
5 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byAndrew Griffith
Government Chief Scientific Adviser
In office
4 April 2018 – 2023
Preceded byChris Whitty (interim)
Succeeded byDame Angela McLean
National Technology Advisor
In office
2020–2023
Preceded byLiam Maxwell
Succeeded byDr Dave Smith
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
18 July 2024
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born
Patrick John Thompson Vallance

(1960-03-17) 17 March 1960 (age 64)
Essex, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Sophia Ann Dexter
(m. 1986)
Children3
Alma materSt George's, University of London (BSc, MBBS)
Awards
Scientific career
Institutions

Patrick John Thompson Vallance, Baron Vallance of Balham (born 17 March 1960),[2] is a British physician, scientist, Life Peer, and clinical pharmacologist who serves as Minister of State for Science in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology since July 2024.[3] He previously served as HM Government chief scientific adviser from 2018 to 2023.

From 1986 to 1995, Vallance taught at St George's Hospital Medical School, where his research concentrated on vascular biology and endothelial cell physiology. In 1995, he was appointed a Professor at UCL Medical School, and in 2002 he became head of UCL's department of medicine. From 2012 to 2018, he was President of Research and Development (R&D) at the global pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).[4] He served as chairman of the Natural History Museum's board of trustees between 2022 and 2024.[5][6]

In March 2020, as HM Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Vallance appeared alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, in televised briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2022 New Year Honours for "services to public health". In July 2024, Vallance was appointed Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation by Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the Labour Party's victory at the 2024 general election.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference goul was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference whoswho was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  4. ^ Can Data Make a Medicine?, YouTube video, Royal Institution (2017)
  5. ^ "Natural History Museum appoints Patrick Vallance as chair". February 2022.
  6. ^ "Former BBC head is Natural History Museum's new Chair". Maxwell Museums. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference WattsVallance2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smith18March2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).