The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has added two senior figures to its Executive Committee. Dr Gail Carson has been named Chief Medical Advisor, and Professor Robin May has been confirmed as Chief Scientific Officer. The agency said the appointments will guide its work on health protection and epidemic preparedness.

Dr Carson is due to take up the Chief Medical Advisor post in January 2027. Her career has been built largely around outbreak response. She has worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) on a series of major infectious disease events, among them Ebola, Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever, H1N1, SARS and H5N1. That record places her in the field during some of the most serious public health emergencies of recent decades.

She currently holds the position of Director of Network Development at the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC), based at the University of Oxford. The consortium operates as a clinical research network spanning more than 130 countries. Its purpose is to speed up the collection of clinical evidence when a health emergency begins, so that treatment and policy decisions can rest on data rather than delay. Dr Carson has also chaired the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), the WHO-linked body that coordinates international deployment of technical expertise during outbreaks.

Professor May's appointment is permanent. He has led the scientific directorate on an interim basis since September 2025, and the confirmation ends that temporary arrangement. The agency described the change as providing continuity at a senior level of its scientific work.

He holds a chair as Professor of Infectious Disease at the University of Birmingham. Before joining UKHSA he served as Chief Scientific Advisor at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), where he advised on scientific risk in the food system. His expertise covers microbiology, pathogen research, the evaluation of scientific risk and the translation of evidence into policy.

The two backgrounds differ in emphasis. Dr Carson's experience lies mainly in frontline response and international coordination, while Professor May's lies in laboratory science and regulatory advice. UKHSA leadership said that bringing both together strengthens the agency's ability to detect, prevent and respond to evolving biological and environmental health hazards. It added that pairing field expertise with advanced pathogen research supports its central duty to protect public health.

The agency was formed to consolidate the UK's health protection functions, and its executive team shapes how it prepares for threats ranging from novel respiratory viruses to environmental incidents. The Chief Medical Advisor typically provides clinical judgement during incidents and informs ministers and officials on medical questions. The Chief Scientific Officer oversees the evidence base on which the agency's guidance and operational decisions depend.

Both appointees said their work will concentrate on building resilient public health capabilities. They also intend to develop international research partnerships and to prepare the national health infrastructure for future challenges. Dr Carson's existing links with ISARIC and GOARN could give the agency closer access to global research and response networks, and Professor May's academic and regulatory experience offers a route for scientific findings to reach policy more directly.

The appointments follow a period of sustained attention on pandemic readiness across the UK and internationally. The agency has yet to set out a timetable for specific initiatives associated with the new roles. Dr Carson's start date in January 2027 means the full executive team will be in place early in the new year.

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