It’s with nice disappointment that we announce the dying of MQ’s CEO Lea Milligan who handed away following a sudden sickness on Monday the fifteenth of April.
Lea devoted his life to serving to different individuals. He turned down a spot at Oxford College, deciding as an alternative to launch his profession within the charity sector.
He began by delivering cognitive behavioural remedy (CBT) and various schooling programmes in prisons earlier than turning into COO of Metropolis Gateway who present assist to at-risk youngsters and ladies in Tower Hamlets.
Lea then joined Mercy Ships UK, a charity that delivers lifesaving surgical care in West Africa, and was their Government Director for 4 years.
He was a part of a crew that cofounded the Harvard Centre for International Surgical procedure Analysis that seeks to extend entry to surgical care and inform surgical procedure coverage on a worldwide scale. As a part of this challenge, he oversaw the launch of a BMJ complement on protected surgical entry that has already saved numerous lives worldwide.
In 2020 Lea turned the CEO of MQ Psychological Well being Analysis. Over the past 4 years he has remodeled the charity. He launched a brand new technique, specializing in the event of early profession researchers and translational analysis on a worldwide scale.
He grew the charities revenue, broadened its attain, and has secured a worldwide repute for MQ as probably the most impactful funders of scientific analysis into totally different psychological well being circumstances, remedies and preventions.
Lea was my first “digital” recruit over video hyperlink within the midst of the pandemic with all of the trepidation that new course of entailed on the time. After all, I needn’t have fearful as we had discovered a really distinctive CEO for MQ.
Lea was not solely an inspirational chief however an extremely clear strategic thinker. In his tragically shortened profession he had an enormously optimistic influence each on the people he interacted with and the broader psychological well being analysis area. These of us who labored intently with him haven’t solely misplaced a colleague however a real pal. The sector has misplaced one in every of its shining lights however his imaginative and prescient and message of hope lives on.
Lea was a champion for guaranteeing that public well being coverage selections have been proof based mostly and labored with the APPG for a Match and Wholesome Childhood on quite a few experiences and campaigns.
Lea Milligan was an absolute one-off. A powerful human being with an awfully beneficiant coronary heart and a superb thoughts. We have been so thrilled to have recruited him to hitch MQ as CEO and he hit the bottom working delivering greater than our wildest desires. A wonderful champion for the significance of researching psychological well being, a terrific chief and an exquisite pal to many. He’s irreplaceable and shall be so very a lot missed. My coronary heart goes out to his youngsters and associate. Thanks, Lea, for all the pieces and for leaving such a deep imprint and implausible legacy. Might you now relaxation in peace.
Lea contributed a lot to creating MQ and the sphere of psychological well being analysis funding. His dedication, power and imaginative and prescient have been inspiring. He shall be massively missed.
His work helped so many and we hope all those that grieve for him discover consolation within the data that Lea’s legacy will reside on and that his life made a distinction.
He was additionally the Chair of Collective Voice, the UKs Drug and Alcohol Providers Community and was a trustee of the Affiliation of Medical Analysis Charities.
Lea’s legacy nevertheless is not only his work. It’s his innate capacity to make real connections to individuals immediately. With a booming voice, a fast wit and an simple charisma Lea was usually the centre of consideration in any room he was in. He was a sports activities fanatic, a eager golfer and was captivated with serving to others.
His final ambition was to see a world the place everybody might entry the healthcare they deserved. An ambition that shall be carried by his pals and colleagues at MQ who will proceed with the momentum that Lea generated.
He leaves behind his associate and two youngsters, in addition to many who liked him.
The put up Tributes to Lea Milligan, MQ’s CEO first appeared on MQ Psychological Well being Analysis.
