Dr Lorraine Nolan — Executive Director, European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA)
Profile
Dr Lorraine Nolan (Ireland) took up the post of Executive Director of the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) on 1 January 2026, following her appointment by the Management Board in June 2025 for a five-year term.
Dr Nolan brings over 25 years of senior leadership experience, including a decade as Chief Executive of Ireland’s Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) from 2016 to 2025. Her career spans science, public service, organisational transformation and executive leadership at national, European and international level.
A highly experienced leader, Dr Nolan has steered and empowered multidisciplinary teams, overseen complex organisational change and delivered strategic, digital and operational transformation programmes. She has a strong record in resource management, financial performance and corporate governance and is recognised for fostering positive working cultures and high-performing environments.
Dr Nolan is also a leading figure in European and international regulatory cooperation for medicines and medical devices. She served as Chair of the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and has worked closely with a wide range of EU institutions, regulatory networks and global partners. Throughout her career, she has been a key adviser to the Irish Ministry of Health on regulatory and drug policy development and has maintained extensive engagement with government, healthcare professionals, civil society and industry stakeholders.
Scientifically, Dr Nolan is an expert in the evaluation and regulation of medicines and drugs, drawing on 25 years of experience across regulatory, technical, policy and management roles. Before joining the HPRA, she worked as a forensic scientist with Ireland’s Department of Justice (1998–2001), performing forensic profiling of illicit drugs and collaborating closely with national law enforcement.
Dr Nolan holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin.
In her role as Executive Director of the EUDA, Dr Nolan brings a powerful combination of scientific expertise, strategic vision, organisational leadership and international experience, positioning the agency to strengthen Europe’s preparedness, response and resilience in the face of an evolving and complex drug phenomenon.
On taking up the position, Dr Nolan said: ‘It is a great honour to take on the leadership of the EUDA at this exciting stage of its development. I look forward to guiding the agency in strengthening Europe’s capacity to anticipate and respond effectively to evolving drug challenges, while driving innovation and organisational transformation. By promoting collaboration across national, European and international partners and communities, we can enhance resilience, improve preparedness and support healthier, safer societies. The agency has a long history of scientific excellence. I am so proud to join such a highly committed team at a time when strong facts and evidence-based decision-making matter more than ever.’
Highlights
European representation
- Chair, European Medicines Agency (EMA) Management Board
- Member, Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) Network
- Member, Competent Authority Network – Medical Devices
- Member, HMA Core Group on Medical Devices
- Member, ACT EU Steering Group for Clinical Trials
- Member, Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products (MSSG)
- Member, European Medicines Network Portfolio Advisory Group
- HMA Mentor, Working Group of Enforcement Office
Education
1991: Degree in Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin.
1995: PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin.
Languages
Native English speaker, satisfactory Irish, basic French.
Note to editors
Article 29 of the EUDA regulation: The EUDA Executive Director is the legal representative of the agency and is accountable to the Management Board, the agency’s main decision-making body. Appointed for a renewable five-year period, the Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day running of the agency (work programmes, budget and staff). The EUDA Management Board comprises one representative of each EU Member State, two representatives of the European Commission and two persons designated by the European Parliament.