I was delighted to hear today that John Savill has been appointed the new head of the Medical Research Council (MRC) beginning this October.

I have always found him a ready champion of charities and patients in research and his down-to-earth approach a breath of fresh air.

Shortly after he was appointed to his current post in Scotland he went out of his way to visit AMRC and learn more about the sector and its concerns. His support was also very important in getting our Scottish network of charities off the ground and he recently attended a thinktank we did on patient involvement .

A good appointment at a challenging time for MRC and science .