Lea Milligan, CEO of MQ Mental Health Research and a founding member of the GALENOS leadership team passed away unexpectedly on the 15th of April following a sudden illness.
Lea dedicated his life to helping other people. He turned down a place at Oxford University, deciding instead to launch his career in the charity sector.
He started by delivering cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and alternative education programmes in prisons before becoming Chief Operations Officer of City Gateway and later the Executive Director of the surgical charity Mercy Ships.
He was part of a team that cofounded the Harvard Centre for Global Surgery Evaluation, a centre that seeks to increase access to surgical care and inform surgery policy on a global scale.
In 2020 Lea became the CEO of MQ Mental Health Research. Over the last four years he has transformed the charity. He launched a new strategy, focusing on the development of early career researchers and translational research on a global scale.
Lea was a champion for ensuring that public health policy decisions were evidence based and worked with the APPG for a Fit and Healthy Childhood on numerous reports and campaigns.
He was also the Chair of Collective Voice, the UKs Drug and Alcohol Services Network and was a trustee of the Association of Medical Research Charities.
Lea was a vital member of the GALENOS leadership team, and his vision of coproduction has informed the entire project. Lea oversaw all our PPIE activities and championed the voice of the Global Experiential Advisory Board. We are grateful for Lea’s unique ability to spot the opportunities for different groups to collaborate successfully and for his help in fostering those relationships.
“Lea contributed so much to developing the field of lived experience in mental health research. His input for GALENOS has been unique and instrumental, from the very first steps of the project. Lea’s commitment, energy, contagious enthusiasm and vision have always been inspiring for the whole global team and for me personally. A great communicator and definitely a “doer”, he will be hugely missed”
Andrea Cipriani
Lea’s legacy however is not just his work. It is his innate ability to make genuine connections to people straight away. With a booming voice, a quick wit and an undeniable charisma Lea was often the centre of attention in any room he was in. He was a sports enthusiast, a keen golfer and was passionate about helping others.
His ultimate ambition was to see a world where everyone could access the healthcare they deserved. An ambition that will be carried by his friends and colleagues across the globe who will continue with the momentum that Lea generated.
He leaves behind his partner and two children, as well as many who loved him.
