Dr Nick Gent CBE

Dr Nick Gent CBE is Chief Scientific Adviser at SJ Group International and a former Senior Medical Adviser and Consultant in Public Health at the UK Health Security Agency, where he specialised in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. A public health doctor with more than 20 years of senior experience, he has advised on product contamination and extortion threats against the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

Much of his national work involved assessing and managing deliberate and accidental contamination of products. He regularly supported police investigations into extortion attempts, advising on protecting public health, supply chains and commercial integrity.

Earlier in his career, Dr Gent was a Director of Public Health and an executive member of several NHS health authorities, responsible for health protection, population health and commissioning services.

Internationally, he has worked with the European Union, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the UK Department for International Development on public health law, major incident preparedness, disaster relief and strengthening national health systems. He has been a member of the WHO's roster of experts on radiation emergencies and on public health security related to biological weapons.

He chaired the UK Faculty of Public Health's Health Protection Committee for many years. His honours include the Alwyn Smith Prize (2015), the Faculty Service Award (2022), and the West Africa Medal for his work during the 2014 to 2015 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. He was appointed CBE in 2018 for services to health protection.

At SJ Group International, Dr Gent advises companies facing contamination threats, assesses the credibility and public health risk of a threat, advises on recalls and communications, and briefs boards and leadership teams during an incident.