Genomics England has announced the appointment of Dr Natalie Banner as its Chief Ethics and Engagement Officer.
Natalie joined Genomics England in 2022 as Director of Ethics, bringing a decade of experience in navigating ethical, regulatory and governance challenges in the use of genomic and health data, and data-driven technologies. She previously led Understanding Patient Data at the Wellcome Trust, where she pioneered accessible communications and community engagement strategies to foster public trust in health data initiatives. She is also a member of the National Data Guardian’s Panel.
In her new role, Natalie will be responsible for embedding ethics and equitable approaches across Genomics England’s programmes and ways of working. This reflects the central importance of ethics, equity and public engagement to Genomics England’s work - ensuring the organisation remains a trustworthy steward of participants’ data and so that as genomics becomes part of everyday healthcare, it does so in step with public views and the benefits are felt equitably.
Natalie holds a PhD in the philosophy of psychiatry and has published on decision-making capacity in clinical settings. She lives in North London with her wife and two rescue cats.
"We are delighted to welcome Natalie into her new role,” commented Dr Rich Scott, Chief Executive Officer, Genomics England. “This appointment reflects the central importance of ethics, equity and engagement in our strategy as we ensure that – as genomics enters the mainstream of healthcare – its adoption is shaped by public views and public trust in the use of genomic data is strong. Natalie has served as our Director of Ethics for the past three and a half years, and her impact has been exceptional. She’s helped embed ethical thinking from the outset in programmes like the Generation Study and is widely respected across the health data community. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the Executive Leadership Team where her principled leadership and deep expertise will play a vital role in helping to shape our future direction."
Dr Natalie Banner said: "I’m honoured to take on this role at such an exciting time for Genomics England. Genomics has the potential to transform healthcare, but it must be done in a way that earns and sustains trust. I look forward to continuing to shape our approach and ensuring we remain fully accountable to those whose data we are privileged to steward."