Speakers: Professor Melanie Welham and Professor Nick Brook

Join us for a journey through the CV of one of the UK’s top bioscientists Professor Melanie Welham, who will reflect on the learning from a dynamic career path in which she has broken new ground in relation to gender, inspired and supported the development of countless early career researchers and delivered important work as a leader at BBSRC and UKRI.

Professor Dame Melanie Welham, DBE, FRSB

Melanie served as Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), between April 2018 – June 2023, having been interim Chief Executive for two years prior to this. At BBSRC she was responsible for £420M annual public investment in bioscience research, training and infrastructures at UK Universities and Institutes.

At UKRI, alongside leadership of BBSRC, Melanie held pan-disciplinary responsibilities including delivery of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and more latterly was the UKRI Executive Champion for People, Culture and Talent, overseeing, among other activities, development and publication of the organisation’s first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy. She also served as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the international Human Frontiers Science Program Organisation and the Governing Board for Science Europe.

Melanie is a graduate of Imperial College (Biochemistry). She completed her PhD at University College London and spent six years as a post-doctoral researcher at The University of British Columbia, Canada. On returning to the UK she established an independent research group at the University of Bath, focussed on molecular signalling and stem cell science, becoming the first female professor in her department.

Melanie was awarded a DBE for her services to bioscience in the 2023 King’s birthday Honours list. She is currently an independent Trustee of The University of Bristol, The Royal Society of Biology and The John Innes Foundation and serves on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy.

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