Dr Derry Mercer will be retiring as Policy Advisory Panel Chair in January 2026. After serving in the role for 5 years and on the committee prior to this, we thank Derry for his exceptional dedication and the expertise he has brought to this role.
 
During his time as Chair on the Policy Advisory Panel he has overseen the completion of the third phase of the COVID-19 impact community survey, the updating of several position statements and the policy online course, re-design of the policy website content, and has guided initial discussions around sustainability.
 
In addition, Derry has brought his valuable knowledge and expertise to a body of policy work on antimicrobial resistance, including 3 consultation responses and 2 very well-attended policy webinars on AMR.
 
Professor Richard Reece, Vice President, Biochemical Society said: 
 
‘Working alongside Derry on the Council of Trustees has been a pleasure. His perspective and guidance have contributed greatly to shaping our policies, resulting in a well-developed and forward-looking programme that will continue to grow. On behalf of all Trustees, we offer our sincere thanks for his contributions and wish him every success in the future.'