Dr Jina Swartz elected as Member trustee

Read Dr Jina Swartz’s candidate statement

I trained in Internal Medicine and Neurology in South Africa, obtaining my MBBCh (MD) cum laude and an MSc Medicine (Neurology). Following the award of a post-doctoral research fellowship, I obtained my PhD at the University of Cambridge, exploring molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease. In 2020 I was elected as Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences for my global expertise in neuropsychiatric drug development and, in 2022, made a Member of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (by Distinction).

In previous roles of increasing seniority at four multinational pharmaceutical companies, I’ve developed and directed regulatory approval of novel drugs, including donepezil, lecanumab, perampanel, zonisamide, suvorexant, sugammadex and gefapixant. I possess outstanding translational medicine expertise, spearheading extensive relationships with academic Neuroscience experts in the UK and world-wide. I maintained academic clinical practice as Honorary Neurology Consultant at Imperial College London. For my ongoing global health policy work with IDPs, see my forthcoming Nature review with two leading academics. I was also an impact assessor for UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

In light of my unique mixture of industry, academic and policy-based expertise, with ongoing board experience at numerous charities (e.g. ARUK, Parkinson’s UK, Arts4Dementia, Ataxia UK, British Neuroscience Association), I welcome the opportunity to join the FPM as a Trustee. I aspire to build the interface between academia and industry, fuelling innovation in drug development and clinical trial conduct. The UK has a fantastic opportunity to provide excellence in translational and clinical research, but as the crisis in health care threatens its fabric and clinical stage companies (large and small) withdraw from later-stage development in multiple disciplines – particularly Neuroscience –the Faculty can take a lead in working to reverse this decline.

Engagement with the current membership to better understand and address the challenges we face, outreach to younger, emergent clinicians to promote working in drug development and clinical research, whilst simultaneously bringing them into a Faculty that is open to innovation and diversity, as well as engaging with the general public to educate and encourage them to actively participate in clinical research, are key areas in which I believe the FPM can make constructive changes. As an FPM Trustee, I would help drive these initiatives, in concert with my activities at the Academy of Medical Sciences, where I mentor emerging female scientists and engage in cross industry-academic activities via the FORUM network.