Science teams
Our aim is to improve health through the best research. We do this through four core objectives.
1. Creating knowledge: we support the broadest range of research, that extends knowledge by testing and investigating ideas. In doing so, we will take risks.
2. Strengthening research capacity: we support the most able and dedicated researchers at every career stage and give them access to the best possible equipment and infrastructure.
3. Using knowledge effectively: we work to make the knowledge generated through Wellcome support readily available to be used by others and, where relevant, to improve health.
4. Promoting an environment in which research can flourish: we work with others to make sure the research environment is conducive to the flourishing of science and health research.
Find out more about the science team's strategy, Improving health through the best research [PDF 1MB].
Our Science Strategy Advisory Group helps us to develop and deliver our strategy.
A major part of our work is engaging with the research community about their research ideas, many of whom will go through our funding schemes.
Funding for large-scale research proposals that do not fit within our funding schemes, but help to deliver the science team's strategy, may be available through Science Strategic Support. Prospective applicants should contact a member of the science team to discuss their proposal.
Contacts for funding
If you have a question about the research content or scope of your proposal, then the remits of each team and relevant contacts are shown below.
If you have a question about your eligibility, the application process, funding policies or general queries about grants, please use our contact form instead.
Contact the team about the research content or scope of your proposal or to discuss initiatives in this area.
Michael Dunn
Head of Genetics and Molecular Sciences and Acting Head of Cellular and Developmental Sciences
- strategic opportunities related to the Genetics and Molecular Sciences portfolio
- Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Sheny Chen
Senior Portfolio Developer
- research proposals related to developmental biology, including neurodevelopment at all stages, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine
- Wellcome / CRUK Gurdon Institute
- Wellcome / MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research.
Sarah Lloyd
Senior Portfolio Developer
- basic science fellowship schemes and basic science PhD programmes.
Johanna Roostalu
Senior Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to cell biology, including cell cycle, cell signalling, membranes and receptors, gene expression focused on the biology of cell function, cancer biology, and the extracellular matrix
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research.
Contact the team about the research content or scope of your proposal or to discuss initiatives in this area.
Sara Marshall
Head of Clinical and Physiological Sciences
- strategic opportunities related to the Clinical Research and Physiological Sciences portfolio
- clinical career advice.
Lorraine Holland
PA to Sara Marshall and Department Coordinator
- initial queries related to Clinical and Physiological Sciences funding.
Stephen Gray
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to the Clinical and Physiological Sciences portfolio
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Thailand and Laos.
Maja Wallberg
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to the Physiological Sciences portfolio
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Vietnam.
Contact the team about the research content or scope of your proposal or to discuss initiatives in this area.
Michael Dunn
Head of Genetics and Molecular Sciences and Acting Head of Cellular and Developmental Sciences
- strategic opportunities related to the Genetics and Molecular Sciences portfolio
- Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Tom Collins
Senior Portfolio Developer
- research proposals related to structural biology, biophysics, biochemistry, chromosome biology, proteomics, mathematical modelling, and epigenetics
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology
- Diamond Light Source
- The Structural Genomics Consortium.
Audrey Duncanson
Senior Portfolio Developer
- research proposals related to the genetics of health and disease, including genetic variation in individuals and across populations, interactions between genes and environment, bioinformatics and statistics, and genetic and genome evolution
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics
- H3Africa initiative
- Global Alliance for Genomics and Health.
Katrina Gold
Science Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to fundamental molecular biology, including chromosome biology, DNA replication and repair, gene expression, and RNA biology
- Human Cell Atlas.
Luigi Martino
Science Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to fundamental molecular mechanisms, biochemistry, chemistry, chemical biology, and protein science
- iGEM competition.
Contact the team about the research content or scope of your proposal or to discuss initiatives in this area.
Christiane Hertz-Fowler
Head of Infection and Immunobiology
- strategic opportunities related to the Infection and Immunobiology portfolio.
Michael Chew
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to fungal biology, parasitology and vector biology
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme.
Divya Shah
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to cellular and molecular immunology, including immune cell signalling, allergy, autoimmunity, neuroimmunology, immunotherapy, immune response to infection, and early-stage vaccine development
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI)
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa).
Sumithra Subramaniam
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to cellular, molecular, experimental and translational immunology, including inflammation, allergy, neuroimmunology, immunotherapy, immunodeficiencies, and immune response to infection.
Georgia Walton
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to bacteriology and virology.
Contact the team about the research content or scope of your proposal or to discuss initiatives in this area.
Andrew Welchman
Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health
- strategic opportunities related to the Neuroscience and Mental Health portfolio.
Matt Brown
Senior Portfolio Developer
- research proposals related to cellular and molecular neuroscience, including basic neurobiology, neural signalling and function, sensory neuroscience, the autonomic nervous system, neuro-immunology, and genetics with detailed phenotypic assessments at the cellular level
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour.
Lindsey Caldwell
Science Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to cellular and molecular neuroscience, including basic neurobiology, neural signalling and function, sensory neuroscience, the autonomic nervous system, neuro-immunology, and genetics with detailed phenotypic assessments at the cellular level.
Georgina Mackenzie
Science Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to cellular and molecular neuroscience, including basic neurobiology, neural signalling and function, sensory neuroscience, the autonomic nervous system, neuro-immunology, and genetics with detailed phenotypic assessments at the cellular level
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research.
Louise Marshall
Science Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to cognitive neuroscience and mental health, including treatment approaches for neurological and mental health disorders, systems-based research including cognition and behavioural neuroscience, translational neuroscience including cognitive interventions, and genetics with detailed clinical phenotypic assessments.
Raliza Stoyanova
Senior Portfolio Developer
- research proposals related to cognitive neuroscience and mental health, including treatment approaches for neurological and mental health disorders, systems-based research including cognition and behavioural neuroscience, translational neuroscience including cognitive interventions, and genetics with detailed clinical phenotypic assessments
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging.
The team oversees Wellcome's priority area Our Planet, Our Health.
Contact the team about the research content or scope of your proposal or to discuss initiatives in this area.
Mary De Silva
Head of Population Health
- strategic opportunities related to the Population Health portfolio.
Bruna Galobardes
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to clinical and population health, epidemiology, surveillance, statistical analysis and modelling, longitudinal/cohort studies, observational studies, health inequalities, and non-communicable diseases
- work related to the Longitudinal Population Studies strategy, including Longitudinal Population Study Grants.
Sophie Hawkesworth
Portfolio Manager
- research proposals related to non-communicable diseases, nutrition, and maternal and child health
- topics focused on upstream determinants and addressing complex systems.
Branwen Hennig
Senior Portfolio Lead
- research proposals related to infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (metabolic and cardiovascular), vaccines, genetic epidemiology, and surveillance
- low- and middle-income country population health initiatives and cohorts
- Wellcome Trust Centres for Global Health Research
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP), Kenya.
Elena Netsi
Science Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to mental health, maternal and child health, early child development, adolescence, behaviour, longitudinal/cohort studies, interventions and clinical trials
- low- and middle-income country cohorts and clinical trials
- Joint Global Health Trials scheme
- Joint Health Systems Research Initiative
- Heightening Institutional Capacity for Government Use of Health Research (HIGH-Res) Award.
Erica Pufall
Portfolio Adviser
- research proposals related to epidemiology, surveillance, modelling, longitudinal/cohort studies, observational studies, infectious diseases, and sexual health.
The team coordinates the operations and governance of international initiatives, and oversees Wellcome’s priority area research ecosystems in Africa and Asia.
Simon Kay
Head of International Operations and Partnerships
- queries related to strategic partnerships and opportunities.
Claire Fearn
International Operations and Partnerships Adviser
- queries related to operations and governance of international initiatives.
Irini Pantelidou
Project Coordinator, Research Ecosystems in Africa and Asia – International Operations and Partnerships
- queries related to the research ecosystems in Africa and Asia priority area.
Annie Rolington
Programme Officer, Research Ecosystems in Africa and Asia – International Operations and Partnerships
- queries related to international operations and partnerships, and the research and capacity building portfolio
- queries related to the research ecosystems in Africa and Asia priority area.
Ellie Estchild
Executive Assistant and Project Manager
- queries related to the Science Director's office
- science researcher meetings.
Anne-Marie Coriat
Head of UK and Europe Research Landscape
- training opportunities for researchers
- basic PhD competition.
Reports
Wellcome Science Review 2020
[Summary] At the end of 2018, Wellcome launched a review to look at the way it funds science. This report presents the main findings.
Wellcome Science Review 2020
This report presents the main findings from Wellcome's review of the way it funds science.
Transforming nutrition science for better health
This report looks at the key themes from an international workshop co-hosted by Wellcome and the World Health Organization, that aimed to stimulate new collaborative nutrition research using cutting-edge techniques and technologies.