I am a scientist by training, specialising in immunology and have spent the past 20 years in senior roles in strategic research funding and scientific publishing. I have just joined the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research as the new Chief Executive, following eight years as Director of Research at Versus Arthritis (formerly Arthritis Research UK). There, I led talented teams in the development, growth and implementation of strategic research for the charity, including frontier areas of research translation and strategic partnership funding with UK Government and industry.Between 2008 and 2012 I was Director of Life Sciences, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) responsible for leading the core objectives of the Foundation in delivering research excellence in the life sciences for Ireland, and sustaining economic relevance and growth of Irish research. Through my experience in delivering research funding, as well as eight years as an editor at the international journal, Science, I have developed expertise in peer-review based evaluation of high-impact internationally competitive research. I also have direct experience in performing and publishing biomedical research, gained through ten years within, and in collaboration with, international research groups and institutions in the UK, Ireland and the US at Harvard Medical School.