Our people
Dr Sian White
Director
Sian joined UKHIH as Director in June 2023. Sian brings a wealth of experience to the team from her work at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and previously with humanitarian and development NGOs. In recent years Sian has worked on a range of humanitarian and innovation grants and is passionate about improving humanitarian practice and using research innovation to tackle intractable humanitarian challenges. Sian is responsible for leading the UKHIH's work, driving strategic collaborations to deliver innovative ways of tackling humanitarian challenges, and building a rigorous evidence base for future needs and opportunities for humanitarian innovation in the UK.
Mark Beagan
Head of Operations
Mark joined UKHIH in October 2020 and is responsible for operations. He has a background in international programme management, having worked for more than 20 years with international humanitarian organisations, including Oxfam and the British Red Cross.
Helen Hazlehurst
Programme Officer
Helen joined UKHIH in January 2023, bringing a wealth of operational, humanitarian and international development experience to the team. Previously, she managed Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office grants for large-scale humanitarian programmes.
Liz Rigby
Communications and Engagement Manager
Liz leads the delivery of UKHIH’s strategic communications strategy. An experienced communications professional, Liz is responsible for designing and managing our multi-channel communications activities, coordinating engagement and advocacy opportunities with UKHIH partners, and building sector-wide support for innovations in humanitarian policy and response.
Adrienne Testa
Research & Learning Manager
Adrienne has over 20 years public health and research experience in Africa, Asia and the UK. She has led practical applications of evidence in health services and interventions in humanitarian and resource-constrained settings, working with and for a variety of NGOs, governments, universities and UN agencies. Adrienne leads UKHIH's portfolio of new research and learning products to strengthen innovation systems and capacity across the humanitarian sector.
