Q&A: Leszek Borysiewicz

When Leszek Borysiewicz was named as the new head of Britain's troubled Medical Research Council last week, commentators told us he faced "enormous" challenges in restoring confidence within and without the organization. Borysiewicz spoke with Stephen Pincock about his views on what some of those challenges were, and how he intends to tackle them.You've arrived at MRC at an interesting juncture. What do you see as your immediate priorities?Obviously it's early days. But there are some fairly obvious issues that are of importance. Clearly the first of these is how do you actually maintain the breadth of the spectrum of the research that the MRC has to cover here in the UK?At one end we have the hugely important basic research programs that provide the underpinning for the future direction of translation. But also, through the Cooksey Report and elsewhere, there has been an important pressure to develop the translational component so that we get the pull-through. That is going to involve working with a number of stakeholders and partners. It's not just an MRC operation but actually requires close working with the NIHR [National Institute for Health Research], that is, the NHS [National Health Service] side of healthcare research. At the other end is to establish the areas that are important, for example, the interface between engineering, physical science and those component parts.And then there are issues I believe in very strongly in personally. This [includes] the biomedical research community in Britain playing on a global stage, actually making sure that the research that it is undertaking is not just in an isolated way relevant to the United Kingdom but to the wider world community as well.There are deep concerns being voiced among the scientific community in the UK about the MRC moving away from basic research. What do you say to the people who voice such concerns?All I can say is that that would be very short-sighted, because at the end of the day, everything that's translatable has to have its start in basic research, whatever specialty or direction it is coming from. So yes, we do want to do more in the translation arena, and yes it is right that we should be trying to use the opportunities for improving health, for getting better health gain for individuals, communities and ultimately, if possible wealth creation.Now the issue that is important is, do you do that by robbing the basic research agenda in order to fund the translational research agenda, and I don't believe that is a very sensible thing to do.From my perspective, we will not be looking in any way to inhibit or reduce the commitment to the basic science agenda. It is absolutely fundamental to where the Medical Research Council is going.In a practical sense how do you do that, funding-wise?Obviously, that's the bit that's impossible for me to judge. We have put in our case under the comprehensive spending review that we are going through at the moment. But no, I have no inkling. Clearly, what one has to do is ensure there is sufficient resource available in order to achieve both those goals. If that were not to happen, I think we would have to have this conversation again.On to the National Institute for Medical Research — how are negotiations proceeding for a new site for the NIMR?As you know, there are currently discussions going on. As a result, all the parties concerned are not able to comment at the present time because the proposal is under consideration at the moment.Can you confirm that the site behind Kings Cross is one that is under consideration?That is under examination. But at this stage I cannot comment as to the details of that.Some commentators have suggested you will need to address a crisis of confidence and cohesion within the MRC. Do you feel that is something you are going to have to come to terms with?A lot of people talk about crisis within the MRC. My job is to make sure this organization is responsive to the strategies that are laid down for the UK in biomedicine and to ensure the organization is actually capable of delivering those end goals that we set down as an organization. At the end of the day the scientific community will judge for itself. But I do hope that they will do so in a year or two's time, because any changes which are ultimately made are not short term. There are no quick fixes in an area such as biomedical research, which requires periods of time to make adjustments.How do you go about re-instilling that sense of confident pride within the people who work for the MRC?The bottom line is that people have to be proud of the track record and achievement of what the MRC has achieved. Secondly, they have to see that there is a very clear agenda and direction for the future so that they know what everyone is signed up to achieving at the end of the goal. Then there has to be confidence in the process of getting from A to B. But it's not just the staff, it's also the wider scientific community in the UK that has to buy into that. Getting that buy-in is the job that I'm going to have to take on over the next few months.It isn't a rapid process, it isn't a quick fix process, but it is one of actually talking to the community and talking and engaging with the staff and then making sure that what's proposed at the end of the day has the buy-in of both communities. Some observers have noted the great deal of political work that needs to be done in the role you're in. Is that something you feel equipped to handle? Coming from the academic environment do you think that is something you are going to enjoy?Well, yes, I am going to enjoy it, because I wouldn't have applied for this job if I didn't think I was. For the MRC to achieve its goals in the broad spectrum of research we've discussed already, it is essential that other stakeholders and partners are actually involved. If one wants to make a global impact, it does mean working with other organizations both within the UK, Europe and the wider international context. In taking on a responsibility such as this it is essential we get those partnerships working, and if that goes under the rubric of political, with a lowercase "p", then so be it. I think I will enjoy that component. I think politics here are going to be little different to politics in the higher education sector where the whole issue is rife as well. Four years from now...what sort of organization would you like MRC to be?What I would like to see for the MRC is [for it to become] an organization that is confident in itself, that is able to deliver the strategic goals that it has actually set itself, has the confidence of the scientific community that there isn't going to be a particular disadvantaged grouping, so that they feel it is moving forward and that we have achieved, by working with stakeholders, particularly NIHR, some of the agenda that's laid out under the translation side, but without actually compromising on the high quality and standards that the MRC has throughout its history maintained. Stephen Pincock mail@the-scientist.comLinks within this article:S. Pincock, "MRC confirms new chief," The Scientist, September 28, 2007. http://www.the-scientist.com/news/home/53663/S. Pincock, "Doubts over UK research head," The Scientist, July 31, 2007. http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/53454/"Chancellor appoints Sir David Cooksey to lead health research review," HM Treasury, March 31, 2006. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/P. Hagan, "NIMR to move to UCL," The Scientist, February 14, 2005. http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/22600/

Q&A: Leszek Borysiewicz

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