Head of Pandemics and High-Consequence Infectious Diseases at Department of Health and Social Care

James Hynard has been Head of Pandemics and High-Consequence Infectious Diseases at Department of Health and Social Care since November 2020. His work covers our preparedness to pandemic and high-consequence infectious disease threats included on the national risk register across the health and care system.

Previously he was Private Secretary to the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Head of Office at Department of Health and Social Care from March 2019, supporting both Dame Sally Davies and Professor Chris Whitty in the role. He worked on topics including antimicrobial resistance and the covid-19 response.

James Hynard previously worked at the Wellcome Trust and on the Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Europe collection of essays edited by Rob Doubleday and James Wilsdon, a follow up to the Future Directions for Scientific Advice in Whitehall. He previously studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge prior to completing a MSci in the History and Philosophy of Science, and has worked on the £10 million Longitude Prize to incentivise transformative innovation to tackle antibiotic resistance.