About Us

Dr Hilary Burton – Deputy Chief Executive

Hilary Burton is a public health physician who has shaped the Foundation’s work from its earliest beginnings. She believes strongly that genomic science can be used to bring about improvements in people's health across the world, and that public health practice should play an important part in making this happen.

Hilary plays a leading role in the strategic development of the Foundation, and directs its programmes of  work that combine scientific and ethical, legal and social issues with public health and clinical content.

Hilary did her medical training at Oxford University and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine. She has worked on strategy development in various areas of public health medicine including disabilities, children's services, women's services, screening programmes, nutrition and cancer services. She has been working in the area of genetics and genomics since 1997, during which time she has developed considerable expertise in the ‘mainstreaming’ of genetics within various areas of clinical medicine in the UK. She has pioneered the use of needs assessment in this area and has written extensively about the strategic development necessary to underpin effective and efficient use of genetic technologies across clinical medicine.

Hilary is very interested in genetics education for health professionals, and led a strategic review of education in genetics for the UK's Department of Health in 2003. She has also established PHG Foundation as a high-quality training location for trainees in public health, and oversees our contribution to the University of Cambridge’s Masters in Public Health programme . She holds an Honorary Lectureship at the University of Cambridge.

Hilary's recently completed work includes a review of the current screening programme for Tay Sachs Disease for the UK National Screening Committee, a systematic review of expanded newborn screening in the UK, a study of the diagnostic use of cell free fetal DNA, and a review of services for inherited cardiovascular conditions in the UK. She is currently involved with the Foundation’s two flagship projects: Framework for action on birth defects and a multidisciplinary review of the use of whole genome sequencing in clinical medicine.

Hilary is member of the Human Genomics Strategy Group, the Joint Committee on Medical Genetics (JCMG) of the Royal College of Physicians, the Council of the British Society for Human Genetics (BSHG), the UK Genetic Testing Network Steering Group and the Genetics Commissioning Advisory Group. She also serves as an observer for the Genetic Alliance.

Selected recent publications:

• Burton H, Alberg C, Hall A, Sagoo G, Stewart A, on behalf of the working group on inherited cardiovascular conditions services. Inherited cardiovascular conditions: the challenges of genomic medicine Heart (2010) 96: 474-76
• Burton H, Wright C, Zimmern R. A new strategic phase for genomic medicine in UK health services Genome Medicine (2009) 1(10):93
• Burton, H. and Adams M.  Professional education and training in public health genomics: a working policy developed on behalf of the Public Health Genomics European Network Public Health Genomics (2009) 12(4):216-24
• Burton H, Adams M, Bunton R, Schroeder-Baeck, P. Developing stakeholder involvement for introducing public health genomics into public policy Public Health Genomics (2008)

Selected recent presentations:

• Presentation at Genes for Health conference, Perth, Australia: “Inherited cardiovascular services in the United Kingdom: A review by an expert Working Group”. May 2009
• Presentation to DoH's launch of the PHG Foundation's cardiac report, Bloomsbury, London: “Inherited cardiovascular conditions: Report of a UK Working Group”. June 2009
• Presentation at the 2nd Cardiff Symposium on Clinical Cardiovascular Genetics: “Inherited cardiovascular conditions in the UK - Report of the Working Group”. November 2009
• Invited lecture at the Human Genetics Commission conference at Hinxton. February 2010
• Presentation to FMCH (National Screening Committee) London: "Expanded Newborn Screening". March 2010
• Invited lecture at DIHAD, Dubai: “People with the greatest needs in terms of health-care are, most often than not, the last to benefit from the latest developments in Science and Technology; how can access to the most beneficial biomedical innovations – by those most in need – be duly ensured?". April 2010
• Presentation at the Faculty of Public Health Annual Conference: "Genetics and public health: the challenge of translation". July 2010

Please visit PHG Foundation’s resources page for a list of our publications and other work by members of our staff.