Rick Lines has was appointed Executive Director in September 2010. He joined IHRA in 2007, initially as Senior Policy Advisor and later as Deputy Director.

Rick has been working in HIV/AIDS and harm reduction policy and advocacy for more than 15 years, and is known for his leading work in the areas of HIV/AIDS in prisons, human rights, drug policy and the death penalty for drug offences. Prior to joining IHRA, Rick worked at a senior level for NGOs in Canada and Ireland, and acted as a technical assistance advisor on HIV in prisons for several UN agencies.

Rick is a member of the Technical Advisory Group to the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, and is a Core Member of the Reference Group to the United Nations on HIV and Injecting Drug Use. He regularly speaks and publishes internationally, and holds Masters Degrees in both Sociology and International Human Rights Law.