Vice-Chancellor: Professor Josie Fraser (Interim)

Professor Josie Fraser is the interim Vice-Chancellor of the Open University, a position she has held since October 2024. Prior to this, she served in various senior academic leadership roles on the Open University executive team, beginning in 2017.

A neuroscientist by training, Josie has collaborated with academic, medical, and pharmaceutical partners in the US, UK, and Europe on projects related to Alzheimer’s disease drug development, substance misuse, and emotional and cognitive behaviour. Her research integrates behavioural, cognitive, neurosurgical, pharmacological, and brain scanning techniques. She has taught across a broad range of healthcare disciplines, including medicine, pharmacy, biomedical sciences, and psychology.

Josie holds a research and teaching Chair in psychopharmacology, recognising her significant contributions to both research and teaching. Her teaching focuses on authentic assessment, inter-professional healthcare education, and team-based learning.

As a leader, Josie is committed to the social mission of widening access to higher education and supporting the success of diverse students. She is a strong advocate for diversity in leadership within higher education. Josie champions equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) both within the Open University and beyond, including mentoring with 100 Black Women Professors NOW and her involvement with World Women in Neuroscience. She also holds Board memberships with the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) and the Institute of Coding (IoC), where she works to promote diversity in technology.

Josie is inspired by the diverse journeys of Open University students and the innovative research and teaching carried out by her colleagues.