Monday, 01 September 2025
Professor Dame Jenny Harries, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, has been appointed as an Honorary Professor in the University’s School of Pharmacy, it was announced today (1 September 2025).
Dame Jenny brings an exceptional track record of public health leadership, having more recently served as Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA), where she played a pivotal role in shaping the UK’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and other major health challenges.
Her distinguished career spans decades of service across the NHS, local government, and national public health bodies, including her tenure as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England from 2019 to 2021.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries
The honorary appointment reflects Dame Jenny’s outstanding contributions to public health, infectious disease preparedness, and health policy. Her expertise will enrich the school’s academic community and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers.
Professor Barrie Kellam, Head of the School of Pharmacy, said: "We are proud, delighted and honoured to welcome Professor Dame Jenny Harries to our academic community during our centenary year in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham.”
Her leadership and insight have shaped national health policy and practice, and her appointment as Honorary Professor is a testament to the school’s commitment to excellence and impact in public health and pharmacy.
Dame Jenny’s association with the university will foster new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and thought leadership in health protection and pharmaceutical sciences.
The announcement coincided with Dame Jenny’s appointment as Chair for Community Pharmacy England, the representative body for community pharmacies across England which is responsible for negotiating the NHS Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) under which all community pharmacies in England operate.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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