David Seymour joined Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) in June 2019 as Partnership Director to lead the development of the UK Health Data Research Alliance (the ‘Alliance’) as part of the Innovate UK funded Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Digital Innovation Hub Programme.

He subsequently became Alliance Executive Director, and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, David led HDR UK’s work to accelerate access to linked data for priority research to inform public policy, which became part of the UK-wide Data & Connectivity National Core Study.  From December 2021 to August 2022 he also served as interim Chief of Staff and was appointed Director of Infrastructure and Services in September 2022.

In this role he oversees the development and delivery of HDR UK’s Infrastructure and Services working in partnership with colleagues across the Institute, data custodians, and providers of Trusted Research Environments (also known as Secure Data Environments) to achieve the ambition of high fidelity linked data from diverse sources being accessed in a trustworthy way by many users to enable research which transforms health, care and research practice across the UK and beyond.

David has extensive experience of working at the interface of public and private sectors through a wide variety of consulting roles with the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, McKinsey & Company and as co-founder of two public service focused consultancies.  Most recently that included working with clinical colleagues to support health and care organisations adopt a system-wide approach to the care and support of older people living with frailty.  He is a graduate of Durham University and served as an Army Officer with the Royal Signals, providing command support and communication services to brigade headquarters on active duty in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland.