Professor Rick Mumford is Deputy Chief Science Advisory (CSA) and Deputy Director of Science & Research at the Food Standards Agency, where he leads a multi-disciplinary team of over 150 staff, providing expert risk assessment and scientific evidence to support UK food safety and standards. He also leads on the cross-government PATH-SAFE Programme. A virologist and molecular biologist by training, he has over 28 years' experience, as both a practising, applied scientist (focusing on diagnostics and biosecurity), and as a science leader, including senior roles up to executive level, within government and the private sector. An author on over 75 scientific publications, Rick is a Visiting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University and Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.