Liz Kendall MP announces life science funding boost as industry champion receives Chiswell Lifetime Achievement Award at BIA Gala Dinner
Dr Ruth McKernan CBE and Dr Dan Mahoney
London, UK, 29 January 2026 - The BioIndustry Association (BIA), the UK trade association for innovative life sciences and biotech, has recognised the achievements of Dr Ruth McKernan CBE, neuroscientist, entrepreneur, investor and former Chair of the BIA Board, with the inaugural Chiswell Lifetime Achievement Award.
Given during BIA’s annual Gala Dinner at the Roundhouse in London, the award honours the memory of Dr David Chiswell OBE, who was CEO at pioneering British biotech companies Cambridge Antibody Technologies and Kymab, Chair of the BIA Board and NED/Advisor to many burgeoning companies in the life sciences sector.
A storied career
Ruth was recognised for her distinguished career in pharma, three-year stint as Executive Chair at Innovate UK and the multiple biotech companies she has cofounded, including Alchemab and AstronauTx. Her latest company, Draig Therapeutics, was recently featured in BIA’s UK biotech financing 2025 report for its £107 million funding round.
Ruth has 25 years of research and commercial experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including heading up research units in the UK and the US. She is a member of the Science, Industry and Translation Committee of the Royal Society and was a Council Member for the Medical Research Council for five years. In addition to chairing BIA’s Board from 2020-2021, her previous roles include Senior Vice President at Pfizer and Head of the Merck Neuroscience Research Centre. She was awarded a CBE in 2013 for services to Business, Innovation and Skills.
Receiving the award, Ruth McKernan said:
I’m honoured and thrilled to be the first recipient of the Chiswell Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you to BIA, which provides essential sustenance to the life sciences sector – whether it’s demonstrating the value of the biomedical catalyst, pushing to retain tax credits, bringing together companies to produce the Covid-19 vaccine or mentoring the next generation of industry leaders.
Liz Kendall MP announces life sciences funding boost
Also at the BIA Gala Dinner, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall MP announced that the MRC Lab for Molecular Biology, based in Cambridge, will receive 10 years of guaranteed government funding, starting with around £50 million a year over the Spending Review period.
The pledge is part of the Government’s manifesto commitment to scrap short-term funding cycles for key R&D institutions in favour of 10-year budgets.
This came alongside a confirmation that the dedicated budget for life sciences will guarantee £1.5 billion for R&D in life sciences over the next four years.
Speaking at the BIA Gala Dinner, Liz Kendall MP said:
This sector is one of Britain’s greatest national assets. When we work in partnership patients get faster access to the best possible drugs, more British companies start-up, scale-up and stay in the UK and jobs are created, putting more money into people’s pockets and boosting our economy.
