Professor Charlotte Watts, Executive Director, Solutions

Prior to joining Wellcome Charlotte was Chief Scientific Adviser and Director of Research and Evidence at the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and previously the Department for International Development (DFID) – a secondment from her academic position as Professor of Global Health and Development at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Over her academic career she has led large multi-disciplinary and multi-country research programmes, including on infectious disease epidemiology, HIV prevention, and gender-based violence, often working with communities and countries most impacted by health challenges.

During her nine years in UK Government, Charlotte headed the Research and Evidence Directorate, including teams managing major portfolios of investment in health, climate, agriculture, clean energy, gender, conflict and humanitarian research. In her role as Chief Scientific Advisor she served on SAGE during the Covid pandemic, provided science advice to FCDO ministers and seniors, and helped shape national and international health policy. As joint head of the UK’s Science and Technology diplomatic network, she has represented the UK in international policy and research engagements, including G20 Science and Innovation meetings in Brazil and India.