Policy and Advocacy team

We aim to influence policy developments so that researchers can be as effective as possible and health can be improved.

We work with a wide range of partners – including governments, research funders, learned societies, charities and commercial organisations – in the UK, Europe and globally. 

Ed Whiting

Director of Strategy

Natalie Paloma-Solis

Executive Assistant to Ed Whiting

Beth Thompson

Head of UK and EU Policy and Advocacy

Michelle Marshall

PA and Team Coordinator

Catherine Guinard

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Martin Smith

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Contact about:

Brexit.

Natalie Banner

Policy and Advocacy Adviser (on secondment)

Contact about:

data protection, patient data and medical records, Expert Advisory Group on Data Access, research ethics and governance.

Ben Bleasdale

Senior Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Contact about:

UK research investment, funding structures, Research Excellence Framework, What’s it Worth studies.

Amelia Dearman

Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Contact about:

immigration, innovation policy, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research, parliamentary communications, diversity, education and skills.

Simon Hall

Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer

Contact about:

Brexit.

Sarah Rappaport

Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Contact about:

emerging science and technologies, mitochondrial donation, regulation of clinical trials, research in the NHS, research involving embryos.

Alex Harris

Head of Global Policy and Advocacy

Contact about:

COVID-19

Jack Snow

Team Coordinator

Contact about:

general enquiries for Global Policy, cultural engagement.

Anna Lee

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Contact about:

research uptake, COVID-19.

Will Hall

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Contact about:

access to healthcare interventions (general), epidemic preparedness, sustainable development goals, COVID-19.

Olivia Allen

Policy and Advocacy Officer

Contact about:

access to healthcare interventions (general), research uptake, COVID-19.

Heather Browett

Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer

Contact about:

emerging science and technologies, research uptake, COVID-19.

Alice Jamieson

Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Contact about:

epidemic preparedness, sustainable development goals, vaccines, WHO partnership, COVID-19.

Diogo Martins

Policy and Advocacy Officer (on secondment)

Contact about:

snakebite, COVID-19.

Gemma Wardle

Policy and Advocacy Officer

Contact about:

access to healthcare interventions, epidemic preparedness, COVID-19.

Will O’Leary

Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Contact about:

research uptake, COVID-19.

Chloe Watson

Policy and Advocacy Adviser

Contact about:

access to healthcare interventions, COVID-19.

Rachael Hore

Policy & Advocacy Officer

Contact about:

access to healthcare interventions, COVID-19

Our work

Equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19)

All R&D funders, developers and manufacturers must help ensure that new vaccines, diagnostics and treatments developed for COVID-19 are globally available, appropriate and affordable, regardless of where they have been developed or who has funded them.

Coronavirus (Covid-19): supporting global research and development

We want to help the world overcome Covid-19. Research is the best way to save lives – but more investment in accessible treatments, tests and vaccines is urgently needed to change the course of the pandemic.

Urgent funding gaps in the global response to coronavirus (COVID-19)

At least $8 billion of new funding is needed for the global response to COVID-19 – for research, development and supply of treatments for all, and support for public health measures in countries with the weakest health systems.

Research culture: let's reimagine how we work together

Current practices prioritise outputs over people’s wellbeing. We want to help build a better research culture – one that is creative, inclusive and honest.

Supporting the use of research evidence in policy and practice

How Wellcome is working to ensure that research evidence is used to influence policy and practice.

Data sharing in public health emergencies

Research is an essential part of being ready for and responding to public health emergencies, like COVID-19 and Ebola.

Wellcome’s partnership with the World Health Organization

Wellcome is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to take on big challenges in global health.

Good Clinical Trials Collaborative

Randomised clinical trials are essential to advancing evidence-based medicine and improving human health. But new guidelines are needed, which is why we've launched the Good Clinical Trials Collaborative. 

Access to healthcare interventions

Everyone should have access to the life-changing benefits of medicines and other healthcare interventions, like vaccines, diagnostics and therapies.

Open research

We want the research we fund – like publications, data, software and materials – to be open and accessible, so it can have the greatest possible impact.

Brexit

Knowledge and understanding don’t stop at borders. We worked with the UK government and others to achieve a Brexit settlement that allows research to thrive in the UK and Europe.

Emerging science and technologies

Emerging science and technologies, such as human genome editing and gene drive, could provide new solutions to health problems.

Patient data in research

Patient data is hugely valuable for research. But the value of that data can only be unlocked if concerns about patient privacy are taken seriously.

The R&D decade: making the case for government investment

We want to secure the investment in research promised by the UK government to overcome the biggest challenges in the world, such as climate change and epidemics.

EU copyright law reform

The European Commission has published a proposal to update EU copyright law so that it applies equally across Europe and is fit for purpose in the 21st century.

Research involving animals

Almost every major breakthrough in human and veterinary medicine has depended on the use of animals to research, develop or test new therapies.

Mitochondrial donation

Mitochondrial donation is an IVF technique that gives families affected by mitochondrial disease the chance of having healthy children.

EU medical devices regulations

The European Union is revising regulations governing the manufacture and sale of medical devices.

Expert Advisory Group on Data Access

The Expert Advisory Group on Data Access promoted good working practices, consistent governance and transparent decision making for managing and using data from cohort studies.

Accelerated Access Review

The recommendations set out in the review mark one of the first steps towards making sure that promising drugs, devices, diagnostics and digital products are adopted quickly across the NHS.

News

Two researchers at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford.

Opinion | 20 October 2020

Wellcome's bold ambitions to improve health through our new strategy by Jeremy Farrar

A kid selling face masks in the street and a health worker wearing a hazmat suit.

Opinion | 20 July 2020

ACT now, ACT together to end COVID-19 by Will Hall

The letter X on top of a coronavirus, next to the word COVID and number zero.

Opinion | 20 April 2020

COVID-Zero: how businesses can play a critical role in bringing the coronavirus pandemic to an end by Mark Henderson

More news

Reports

Report 14 January 2021 Updated 14 January 2021

What does the UK-EU deal mean for research and health?

DownloadPDF 126KB

Our analysis of the post-Brexit trade deal and how it delivers for the UK-EU research sector.

Report 28 January 2020 Updated 28 January 2020

A post-Brexit agreement for research and innovation: outcomes from a simulated EU-UK negotiation

DownloadPDF 317KB

Outcomes from a simulated EU-UK negotiation by Bruegel and Wellcome.

Report 28 January 2020 Updated 13 February 2020

A post-Brexit agreement for research and innovation – outcomes from a simulated negotiation process

This report is about the lessons from a simulated negotiation of a post-Brexit UK-EU science agreement.

More reports

Briefings and responses

Consultation response 1 September 2019 Updated 4 December 2019

Priorities for the 2019 spending round

DownloadPDF 157KB
Consultation response 1 May 2019 Updated 4 December 2019

Future frameworks for international collaboration on research

DownloadPDF 197KB
Consultation response 1 January 2019 Updated 4 December 2019

Brexit, science and innovation: preparations for 'no-deal' inquiry

DownloadPDF 694KB
More briefings and responses