Patrick Vallance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Vallance of Balham
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation | |
| Assumed office 5 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Andrew Griffith |
| Government Chief Scientific Adviser | |
| In office 4 April 2018 – 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Chris Whitty (interim) |
| Succeeded by | Dame Angela McLean |
| National Technology Advisor | |
| In office 2020–2023 |
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| Preceded by | Liam Maxwell |
| Succeeded by | Dave Smith |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 18 July 2024 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Patrick John Thompson Vallance
17 March 1960 Essex, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Sophia Ann Dexter
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | St George's, University of London (BSc, MBBS) |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Institutions |
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Patrick Vallance, born on March 17, 1960, is a British doctor and scientist. He is currently a Minister for Science in the UK government, a role he started in July 2024. Before that, he was the government's top science advisor from 2018 to 2023.
From 1986 to 1995, Vallance taught at St George's Hospital Medical School. There, he researched how blood vessels work. Later, he became a professor at UCL Medical School in 1995. He led UCL's medicine department starting in 2002.
From 2012 to 2018, he was in charge of research and development at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This is a big company that makes medicines. He also led the Natural History Museum's board of trustees from 2022 to 2024.
In March 2020, as the government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Vallance appeared on TV. He gave updates on the COVID-19 pandemic with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty. He received an award in 2022 for his work in public health. In July 2024, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed him Minister of State for Science. This happened after the Labour Party won the general election.
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Early Life and Education
Patrick Vallance was born on March 17, 1960, in Essex, England. His family later moved to Cornwall. He went to Woodford Green Preparatory School and Buckhurst Hill County High School. He also attended Truro School. When he was young, he wanted to be a palaeontologist, someone who studies fossils.
Vallance studied medicine at St George's, University of London starting in 1978. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1981. Then, he received a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree in 1984. He was inspired by his teachers and other doctors during his studies.
Career in Science and Government
Before working for the government and a big medicine company, Vallance spent many years doing medical research.
Research at St George's Hospital
From 1986 to 1995, Vallance taught at St George's Hospital Medical School. His research focused on how blood vessels and their inner lining, called endothelial cells, work. He studied how nitric oxide affects high blood pressure.
In 1987, he worked with Joe Collier to study human blood vessels. They found that human arteries are kept wide by a constant release of nitric oxide. This helps blood flow smoothly. In 1991, Vallance and Salvador Moncada published a paper. It suggested a link between nitric oxide and changes in blood flow in cirrhosis, a liver disease.
Leading Medicine at UCL
From 1995 to 2002, Vallance was a professor at UCL Medical School. He became the head of medicine at UCL from 2002 to 2006. In 2005, he wrote a paper suggesting that doctors, nurses, and social workers should work more closely in teams.
Work at GlaxoSmithKline
In 2006, Vallance joined GSK, a major pharmaceutical company. He became head of drug discovery. Four years later, he led medicine discovery and development. In 2012, he was appointed head of research and development at GSK.
Under his leadership, new medicines were found and approved. These included treatments for cancer, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and HIV infection. He also supported new ways of working with universities and focused on finding new antibiotics.
UK Government Science Adviser
In March 2018, Vallance left GSK. On April 4, 2018, he became the Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government. In this role, he led the Government Office for Science. He advised the Prime Minister and other government leaders. In 2018, he and eight other science advisors wrote a paper. They asked for clear and open information for people making government policies.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020, Vallance appeared on TV with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty. They gave updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. During some interviews, he used the term "herd immunity". He later explained that he misspoke while trying to explain a complex idea. He stated that he regretted using the term.
In September 2020, it was reported that Vallance owned shares in GlaxoSmithKline. This company was working on a COVID vaccine. Some people worried this could be a conflict of interest. However, the government stated that steps were taken to manage his financial interests. They said he had no part in decisions about buying vaccines.
After a TV briefing on October 31, where a second "lockdown" was announced, Vallance was criticized. He showed slides with projections for hospital admissions and deaths. These figures were later adjusted downwards. The Office for Statistics Regulation then asked for more openness in how pandemic data was shared.
Minister of State for Science
On July 5, 2024, Vallance became the Minister of State for Science. This happened after the Labour Party won the general election. On July 17, 2024, he was given the title Baron Vallance of Balham. This means he became a life peer and joined the House of Lords. In November 2024, he gave a speech at the Royal Institute of Navigation annual seminar.
Honours and Awards
In 1995, Vallance became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP). The next year, he gave the Goulstonian Lecture. In this lecture, he talked about the link between nitric oxide and blood pressure. He became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 1999. In 2002, he won the Graham Bull Prize for Clinical Science. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2017. In 2022, he became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (HonFREng).
Vallance was made a Knight Bachelor in 2019 for his work in open clinical science. He was then promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 2022. This was for his services to science in government.
In 2022, he received the Lister Medal from the Society of Chemical Industry. This award recognizes leaders who make important advancements in medicine. In 2023, the Royal Society gave him the Royal Medal.
After becoming a Minister, Vallance was made a peer. He received the title Baron Vallance of Balham on July 17, 2024. He was officially introduced to the House of Lords on July 18.
Personal Life
Patrick Vallance married Sophia Ann Dexter in 1986. They have two sons and one daughter. Sophia Dexter was a general practitioner (GP), which is a family doctor.
