Alastair Kent is a Senior Advisor and founding member of DGA Group and is based in the U.K. Mr. Kent brings over two decades of expertise in patient engagement and advocacy, alongside rare disease policy, to DGA-ASG’s Health and Life Sciences practice. 

Mr. Kent served as the Executive Director of Genetic Alliance UK for almost 25 years. In that capacity he actively engaged in developing policy and practice in biomedical research and service development that reflects and respects the needs and expectations of patients and families affected by serious, chronic, and life limiting diseases. Mr. Kent worked at a national, European, and international level to ensure that the voice of patients and families was heard and acted on in situations where decisions are taken and plans are made. He has been a member of many committees and working groups and has lectured and published on a wide range of issues relevant to patient and family needs and expectations. He is former Chair of the UK Rare Disease Stakeholder Forum at the Department of Health and Social Care and Chair of the Rare Diseases Advisory Group for NHS England. 

Mr. Kent was made OBE for services to health care in 2011 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2017. He is the recipient of the Eurordis Lifetime Achievement Award and was named Communique Awards’ Healthcare Advocate of the Year in 2017.  

Since retiring from Genetic Alliance UK, Mr. Kent has continued to work on behalf of patients and families affected by rare and genetic diseases.