Nicola Blackwood

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Official portrait of Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford crop 2

Nicola Blackwood (born 16 October 1979) is a British Conservative politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford West and Abingdon from 2010 to 2017. She was also the Chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee from 2015 to 2017.

Early Life and Education

Nicola Blackwood was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She moved to the United Kingdom at a young age and was educated at St Anne's College, Oxford, where she studied music. She later completed a Master’s degree in Musicology at the University of Cambridge.

Political Career

Blackwood was elected as the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2010 general election, defeating the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris. She was re-elected in the 2015 general election but lost her seat in the 2017 general election to Layla Moran of the Liberal Democrats.

Parliamentary Roles

During her time in Parliament, Blackwood served on several committees. She was a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee and later became the Chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee. In this role, she was involved in scrutinizing government policy on science and technology, including issues related to climate change, genetic engineering, and cybersecurity.

Ministerial Roles

In 2016, Blackwood was appointed as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care. In this role, she was responsible for policies related to public health, including the response to the Zika virus outbreak and the implementation of the Childhood Obesity Plan.

Post-Parliamentary Career

After losing her seat in 2017, Blackwood continued to be active in public life. She was appointed as the Chair of Genomics England in 2018, an organization focused on the 100,000 Genomes Project. She has also been involved in various initiatives related to healthcare innovation and biotechnology.

Personal Life

Nicola Blackwood is married and has one child. She is known for her interest in music and continues to be involved in musical activities.

See Also

• Oxford West and Abingdon (UK Parliament constituency)
• Science and Technology Select Committee (United Kingdom)
• Genomics England
• Department of Health and Social Care