RPS Pharma Scene #6 - COVID-19 Vaccine

With Sir Richard Sykes

This episode, RPS Chief Scientist Professor Gino Martini gets insight into the UK COVID-19 vaccine programme through discussion with a very special guest. 

Gino is joined by Sir Richard Sykes, who was appointed Chair of the UK Government's Vaccine Taskforce in June 2021, and also chairs the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the UK Stem Cell Foundation.

Sir Richard, who has extensive experience in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, imparts his knowledge about the role of the Vaccine Taskforce, the booster vaccine campaign, and coping with COVID-19 variants - as well as the 'very important' role pharmacies and pharmacists have played during the pandemic.

This episode was recorded on September 9.

About Sir Richard

Sir Richard Sykes is the chair of the Vaccine Taskforce and is a non-executive director of PDS Biotechnology. He is the president of the Research and Development Society and the Chancellor of Brunel University.

He was the chairman of NHS London, chairman of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, chairman and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, vice-chairman of Lonza Group, NetScientific plc, senior non-executive director of Eurasian National Resources Corp, director of Economic Development Board International (EDBI) Pte Ltd and a senior independent director of Rio Tinto plc.

He was previously the rector of Imperial College London. He is also a mentor at the Chairman Mentors international (CMi), who are global leaders in mentoring.

Sir Richard received his Knighthood in the 1994 New Year’s Honours list for services to the pharmaceutical industry.