New CEO appointment announced at Kidney Research UK

13 April 2026

Kidney Research UK today announces the appointment of Fiona Carragher as its new chief executive.

Fiona will take up the role in August, joining the charity from Alzheimer’s Society, where she is currently chief policy and research officer.

With a career defined by leadership across healthcare, research and policy, Fiona will bring significant experience and expertise to the chief executive role.

At Alzheimer's Society, she has deepened the charity’s influence across health and social care policy, strengthened partnerships across the research system and driven ambitious initiatives such as accelerating new, technology-based solutions designed with and for people living with dementia. Her work has helped position the Society as a credible trusted voice with government, the research community and partners at home and internationally.

She has previously served as deputy chief scientific officer for NHS England for five years, providing leadership for 50,000 healthcare science professionals and advising the health system on science, innovation, and diagnostics.

A passionate advocate for women in science, she also established the first Women in Science and Engineering fellowship programme in the NHS.

Fiona has significant Board experience, including as a Trustee of the UK Dementia Research Institute and Non-Executive Director at Kent and Medway Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust. She is a Member of the National Physical Laboratory Science and Technology Advisory Council and Chair of the Government Chemical and Biological Metrology Programme Expert Group, with an ongoing commitment to turn robust scientific evidence into real-world impact. Fiona is also Visiting Professor at the University of Ulster

Sandra Currie, chief executive of Kidney Research UK — Sandra Currie OBE

The appointment follows the announcement that Sandra Currie would be retiring after 13 years leading Kidney Research UK.

Sandra, who was awarded an OBE in the 2025 new year’s honours for services to people affected by kidney disease, has steered the charity through significant development and expansion and leaves it in a strong position to continue building on its mission to create a world free from kidney disease.

Kidney Research UK is the leading charity in the UK focused on funding research into the prevention, treatment and management of kidney disease. The 65-year-old charity works with partners across the NHS, public, private and third sectors to drive innovation and improve outcomes for kidney patients.

Alongside investing in pioneering research, it is committed to lobbying the UK’s governments and decision makers to prioritise kidney disease, whilst raising awareness of the condition, driving education and supporting and equipping patients with the information they need to live well with kidney disease.

A time of growth and ambition for the charity

Fiona joins at an exciting time of growth and ambition across the organisation, which has invested more than £77million into research, awareness and education about kidney disease in the last ten years.

Matthew Newcombe-Ellis, chair of the trustee board said: “Fiona brings an outstanding track record in driving change across healthcare, science and policy, alongside the leadership skills and experience to take Kidney Research UK into an exciting new phase.

“She joins an organisation with a strong team and real momentum. In the last year, we delivered record income and invested more than £12 million into research, awareness and education, building on the legacy of 13 years of exceptional leadership by Sandra Currie.

“But the scale of the challenge ahead is significant. With one in ten people in the UK affected by kidney disease, we must deliver a step-change in the scale of our work and the impact we deliver for patients. I am confident that Fiona has the vision, experience and determination to lead us into that next phase of growth and ambition.”

Looking ahead to joining the charity later this year, Fiona said: “I am delighted to take on the role of chief executive at Kidney Research UK - an organisation with a clear ambition to reach a day when everyone can live free from kidney disease. With over 7 million people in the UK affected, the scale of the challenge is significant, but so too is the opportunity.

"On a personal level, this next chapter represents a return to the earliest days of my clinical career, where the stories of individuals and families affected by kidney disease remain etched in my mind.

“Throughout my career I have been driven by the conviction that science and research can reshape the societal challenges of our generation. It has been a privilege to see that hope translate into real progress in dementia in my time at Alzheimer’s Society, and I now carry that same belief forward, with urgency and purpose, into this next chapter at Kidney Research UK.”