New Head of Chemical Hazards and Poisons appointed at the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards

9 December 2008

The Health Protection Agency today announced the appointment of Mary Morrey as Head of its Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division and Deputy Director of its Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards (CRCE). 

In this role Mrs Morrey will ensure that the Agency continues to provide high quality, evidence based advice on chemical hazards and poisons to the Government, the Devolved Administrations, the NHS and other partner bodies.

Mrs Morrey, currently Head of the Agency's Environmental Assessments Department based at CRCE, Chilton, has worked in the department since 1980 when she joined the National Radiological Protection Board which in April 2005 became part of the Health Protection Agency.

She has achieved national and international recognition as a leading expert in the development of emergency planning frameworks and response criteria.  She pioneered the development of a practical framework for long term protective measures and remediation in urban environments after a radiological emergency which has been adopted as part of the UK national response.

Welcoming the appointment Dr Roger Cox, Director of CRCE said: "Mrs Morrey has long been a major contributor to a very significant part of our environmental work and I am delighted that we have been able to capitalise on the many synergies between her work on the radiological side and her new chemicals and poisons brief. Mrs Morrey is ideally placed to lead our Chemical Hazards and Poisons service into the all important next phase of its development."

Mrs Morrey said: "I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the next phase of development of the Agency's Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division.  There are major challenges ahead and I know that the Division has the vision and expertise to respond."

Note to Editors

For further details of Mrs Morrey's career, please contact the Health Protection Agency's press office on 01235  822737.

Last reviewed: 9 December 2008