Havering LBC's new director of public health Dr Mary E Black, whose appointment was announced by the council last week and who took over her new responsibilities this week, has worked on the Olympics as well as UNICEF.

Dr Black is a medical doctor, public health specialist, writer and technology entrepreneur from Northern Ireland. She graduated in medicine from Trinity College Dublin. After working as a junior doctor in Dublin and Galway, she trained in general medicine and infectious diseases in England and then moved into public health.