English National Opera (ENO) is pleased to announce that Professor Ajit Lalvani is joining the ENO Board of Trustees with immediate effect.

Ajit is Chair of Infectious Diseases and Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Respiratory Infections Health Protection Research Unit at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

He leads multidisciplinary public health research to protect the population from respiratory infections including flu, TB and pandemics such as COVID-19. 

Ajit is committed to improving resilience and wellbeing in underprivileged communities by tackling the social determinants of health including active engagement in the performing arts. He is Chair of Trustees at the Bromley-by-Bow Centre which pioneered social prescribing, Governor of The Science Museum Group and Chair of the India Alliance Strategy Board, India’s most esteemed medical research funding organization. 

Commenting on the appointment, ENO Chair, Dr Harry Brunjes says, ““We are all delighted that Professor Ajit Lalvani has time in his busy life to join the ENO Board.  Ajit is a longstanding opera fan and has a particular interest in how the Arts can be a major factor in health and wellbeing which he will champion on behalf of the company.”

Ajit Lalvani adds: “I am looking forward very much to working with ENO, a company that I have admired for years not just for its excellence on stage but for all the unique and exceptional outreach work done by its Baylis Department.”

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