WHO appoints Jeremy Farrar as chief scientist

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that Jeremy Farrar will become its new chief scientist as the agency prepares to cope with post-pandemic health challenges.

He will join the WHO in the second quarter of 2023, replacing Soumya Swaminathan, who departed in November ahead of a broader shakeup at the health agency.

Farrar’s is the latest appointment as Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’s second term as the leader of the 74-year-old U.N. health agency gets underway amid private criticism by some donors that the management is too bloated.

“As chief scientist, Jeremy will accelerate our efforts to ensure WHO, its member states and our partners benefit from cutting-edge, life-saving science and innovations,” said Tedros in a statement.

Farrar is a clinical scientist who most recently served as the director of the Wellcome Trust. Reuters