Dr Gráinne Gorman was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the HRB in October 2025. She oversees an annual investment of €66m in health research activity, an awards portfolio of approximately €155m, and leads 127 staff. 

Dr Gorman is a Neurologist by training specialising in mitochondrial disease. At Newcastle University, she served as Professor of Neurology, Director of the Welcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, and Theme Co-Lead within the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre. She is an alumna of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences’ FLIER (Future Leaders in Innovation, Enterprise and Research) programme and a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. 

She completed undergraduate and postgraduate training in Ireland, attaining specialist certification in Neurology before moving to the UK to join Newcastle University, where her work has focused on clinical trials and translating mitochondrial research into innovative, co-designed care with patients and communities.