Stephanie Francis

Stephanie Francis is a Programme Manager at the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC). Following completion of a master’s in research and a PhD in Vascular Pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London, she joined AWTTC in 2008 as an Appraisal Scientist. During her career, she has played a leading role in the development and delivery of the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) health technology assessment (HTA) process, as well as coordinating horizon scanning activities across Wales. This has included establishing the All-Wales Cancer Horizon Scanning Collaborative Group and building strong partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry. Stephanie has recently led on delivering a Medicines Strategy for Wales, implementing a revised AWMSG medicines assessment process, and defining a national process and governance structure for the mapping of complex/disruptive therapies. In her current role, she leads the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG [HTA]) programme in Wales, supporting innovation and improving access to clinically and cost-effective medicines.