3 minute read
Presidents’ Reports
The 2022 Spring Meeting and AGM, my last as President, was a truly wonderful occasion. This was in part simply because we were able, once again, to be in Somerville, meet in person, and enjoy informal contacts and conversations with each other, as well as the formal proceedings. But it was also wonderful because of our two inspiring speakers, who were able to tell us so much about how we had come through the pandemic faster and with fewer losses than seemed possible even a year before.
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Dr Dame June Raine (1971) is Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Dame Kate Bingham (Christ Church 1983, and daughter of Somervillian Lady Elizabeth Bingham (Loxley, 1957)) chaired the UK government’s Vaccine Taskforce, steering procurement of vaccines during the Covid pandemic. Many of us were already aware both that the Taskforce had adopted an enormously successful approach to vaccine procurement, and that the UK’s regulatory authority had ensured very rapid approval of developed vaccines, without compromising safety. But I think everyone will have learned a huge amount from the completely fascinating, impressive and inspiring presentations that our speakers made. We were privileged to hear them.
This year, like so many others, has seen Somervillians honoured in the New Year and Queen’s Birthday Honours. Warmest congratulations are extended to: Dame Nia Griffith MP (1975) awarded a DBE for her tireless efforts on behalf of her local community, and in promoting issues of human rights Sue Barratt (1974; Mrs Williamson) awarded an MBE for services to the Library Sector; she is currently Director, Libraries, for Arts Council England Professor Hilary Winchester (1971) awarded an AM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours (Australia) for significant services to governance and university administration
On behalf of the Somerville Association, I would like to congratulate them all.
I was very happy, at the AGM, to hand over the Presidency to Nermeen Varawalla, a distinguished biomedical entrepreneur whom many of you – especially the medics – will already know. I am completely confident that she will be a great Association President. I also extend my thanks to the Association committee and year reps for all their work on behalf of the College, and to Liz Cooke and Lisa Gygax for, as always, offering enormous ongoing support to the Association and to alumni everywhere. It has been a great honour and privilege to serve as President, and I look forward to seeing the College, and the Association, continuing to go from strength to strength
DR NERMEEN VARAWALLA
Introduction to the new President of the Somerville Association, Dr Nermeen Varawalla
At the Somerville Association AGM held on 5th March 2022 I was honoured and delighted to take on the mantle of serving as its new President. As is true for so many Somervillians, Somerville remains an important and treasured aspect of my life. Since I arrived from Mumbai in January 1989, having completed my medical training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, to take up my Rhodes Visiting Research Fellowship at Somerville, the College has gifted me with not only exceptional educational and research opportunities but also contributed to my personal development and wellbeing in a myriad of ways. Whilst being a member of the Senior Common Room with observer Governing Body privileges, I carried out my DPhil research at Oxford’s Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine following which I embarked on my NHS career which included the Oxford Radcliffe and Birmingham Women’s NHS Trust hospitals. With an MBA from INSEAD I transitioned to the pharmaceutical industry where over the past 20 years I have held numerous leadership roles related to global clinical development. Notably I have set up and exited from a pioneering business that allowed for hospitals in India to be included in global clinical trials, led programs for FDA approval of innovative medicines and served as a Trustee of the Malaria Consortium. Presently I am Chief Medical Officer at Relief Therapeutics, a Swiss biopharmaceutical company, working on delivering treatments for rare genetic diseases.
