https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/news/director-of-research-and-innovation-appointed/
Director of Research and Innovation appointed
13 Jun 2023, 1:30 p.m.
Dr Kiki Syrad has been appointed Director of Research and Innovation for Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust.
Kiki comes to the Hospital from the charity sector where she has held senior leadership positions for more than 15 years. At present she is the Director of Impact and Charitable Programmes at Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity where she has led on the development of two five-year research strategies. These two strategies led to £120m of investment in research across the UK.
Prior to her current role, Kiki was Head of Research and Funding at Breast Cancer Now. Kiki did her PhD at Melbourne University, Australia, focusing on cancer therapies. As a researcher, she was part of the Angiogenesis group at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford, working on a potential therapeutic cancer target and identifying novel cancer markers. Kiki will take up post in October.
I am absolutely delighted that Kiki will be joining the Trust. I have seen her strategic thinking and excellent leadership first-hand and know she will be brilliant in this role. It is a really exciting time to join the Hospital and build upon Professor David Goldblatt’s amazing legacy. We have the new GMP facility, an advanced data infrastructure and a number of exciting commercial partnerships which will further enhance our ability to harness research to transform care for children and young people.
GOSH has a rich history of creating superb research and innovation in children’s health. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to build on this incredible legacy, working with our colleagues and partners to help transform the lives of patients. This is an such exciting time for research and innovation, and I am looking forward to amplifying the extraordinary partnership that exists between the Hospital, University, Charity, and wider child health ecosystem.
When Kiki joins in October, she will take over from Dr Jenny Rivers, the Acting Director of Research and Innovation. Jenny leaves GOSH to take up the role of Director of Research and Development at Barts Health.
Healthcare Scientist Award Winners 2025
As part of Healthcare Science Week, we hosted an awards ceremony to celebrate our scientists. See the winners for each category below.
Gene therapy offers potential to extend lives of children with rare immune disorder
Children have had their lives changed by a ground-breaking gene therapy treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital for a rare immunodeficiency.
Cutting-edge genomic technology saves girl from rare brain infection
Great Ormond Street Hospital has launched the UK’s first accredited ‘metagenomics’ testing service, that allows clinicians to identify infections that are otherwise undetectable.
New research analyses key immune cell
A new study led by researchers at University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health has found that women have a higher proportion of key immune cells between puberty and menopause.