Melanie Ivarsson, who notably oversaw the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the UK's new Health Data Research Service (HDRS). This pivotal UK government initiative is designed to revolutionise access to NHS health data for researchers and innovators. The HDRS is a central component of the UK's ambitious 10 Year Health Plan to leverage technology and data for improved healthcare and accelerated medical breakthroughs. Supported by up to £600 million in funding from the UK government and the Wellcome Trust, the service aims to streamline access to de-identified health data across the entire UK and enable critical discoveries in treatment, prevention, and health system planning.
Ivarsson brings deep industry experience to the role. As the former Chief Development Officer at Moderna, she guided clinical development, large-scale trials, and regulatory approval for the company, including for its mRNA vaccines. Her portfolio also includes senior positions at major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Takeda, and Eli Lilly, providing a robust background in clinical and research leadership. Further strengthening its governance, Baroness Nicola Blackwood, a prominent figure in life sciences and innovation and former Chair of Genomics England, was appointed Chair of HDRS in November 2025. This leadership team signals an intent to blend public health priorities with private-sector efficiency, positioning the UK as an attractive destination for life sciences investment.
The HDRS is structured to be a secure, unified access point for NHS data across all four UK nations. Once operational, with a minimum viable product expected by the end of 2026, researchers will be able to request and analyse linked datasets—including primary care records, hospital episodes, and prescribing data—within controlled, secure environments. Government and HDRS leaders stress that patient privacy and data security are paramount. The platform is being built with robust encryption, continuous monitoring, and strict governance to safeguard sensitive information.
The core ambition of HDRS is to make NHS health data "research-ready," significantly cutting the time researchers currently spend navigating slow, fragmented access pathways that often require multiple approvals. By unifying disparate data sources and reducing bureaucracy, the service seeks to accelerate research timelines and improve the efficiency of projects that could yield new medicines, diagnostic tools, and system innovations.
Despite strong support, the initiative has sparked debate regarding data privacy and commercial access. Concerns have been raised by some privacy advocates about the terms for commercial entities, such as pharmaceutical companies, accessing data and the safeguards in place. Officials, however, maintain that strict controls, secure environments, and anonymisation will protect patient privacy while still enabling beneficial research. If successful, the HDRS could dramatically speed up the translation of data into treatments, reduce research duplication, and strengthen the UK’s global position in the biomedical landscape.
