Baroness Nicola Blackwood

Baroness Blackwood previously served as Minister for Innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care under two Prime Ministers. Her ministerial responsibilities included research and life sciences, NHS innovation, medicines regulation and pricing, data, digital and cyber security, international health diplomacy, global health security, and rare diseases.

Born in Johannesburg in 1979 to a South African nurse and an English cardiologist working at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, she later returned to the UK. With both parents working for nearly 30 years in the NHS, she gained first-hand insight into the challenges facing the health service, shaping her long-term commitment to evidence-based healthcare policy.

First elected as MP for Oxford West and Abingdon in 2010, she was later elected Chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee by a large cross-party majority. She became the youngest-ever Select Committee Chair in UK history and the only woman to hold the role. Under her leadership, the Committee became one of Westminster’s most influential, with inquiries covering science funding, big data, digital skills, space and satellites, and science policy in the context of the EU referendum.

In 2016, she was appointed Minister for Public Health and Innovation, overseeing major investment and transformation programmes in mental health services, NHS digital and cyber security systems, and health research. This included the largest-ever health research investment, funding 20 NHS–university partnerships, the 100,000 Genomes Project, and the Fleming Fund to improve antimicrobial resistance surveillance in low-income countries.

She also founded the national campaign Childhood Lost in response to the Oxford child abuse case, securing support from major children’s charities and successfully amending child protection legislation to strengthen protections for victims of sexual abuse.

Following the 2017 General Election, Baroness Blackwood became Chair of the Human Tissue Authority, Honorary Professor of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy at UCL, and a board member of the Campaign for Science and Engineering.

In January 2019, she was appointed to the House of Lords as Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford.

As a speaker, Baroness Blackwood brings exceptional authority, policy insight, and real-world experience to discussions on healthcare innovation, life sciences, digital transformation, regulation, and leadership in complex systems. Her presentations offer audiences a rare perspective at the intersection of science, government, and global health.

To book Keynote Speaker Baroness Nicola Blackwood, contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com