Announcing the appointment, the Secretary of State said: ‘I am pleased to welcome Sir John Savill as the new Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council. He has an excellent background as a clinician scientist and is highly regarded in the research and clinical academic communities. With his extensive experience in leadership roles he will be a great asset to the Council.

‘As an important funder of medical research and high quality postgraduate training, the MRC has a crucial role to play in meeting some of the major challenges our country faces to improve people’s health and wellbeing.’

Sir John Savill said: ‘I am thrilled to be joining the MRC at a time when there are such bright prospects for the UK to play a leading role in the international effort to beat disease through interdisciplinary discovery science. To ensure rapid translation into health and wealth gains, I look forward to working through the Office of Strategic Co-ordination for Health Research with the National Institute for Health Research, the devolved administrations and the Technology Strategy Board.’

The appointment is for three years, and Sir Savill will take up the post on 1 October 2010 as successor to Sir Leszek Borysiewicz.

Vince Cable also announced the reappointment of Sir John Chisholm as Chair of the MRC.

Sir Chisholm said: ‘I am delighted to be reappointed in my role as Chair and look forward to building on the MRC’s achievements over the next two years. In the exciting and challenging time ahead, I look forward to working alongside Sir John Savill and all of the dedicated staff at the MRC to help tackle the major health challenges of the 21st century head on.’

The reappointment is for two years from 1 October 2010.