Dame Bridget Ogilvie
IHMRI’s patron is Dame Bridget Ogilvie AC DBE ScD FRS FAA, a renowned scientist who initially established her academic reputation for her work in immunology.
Following a twenty-year research career she went on to helm many great research institutes, advisory councils and funding bodies.
She was Director (Chief Executive) of the Wellcome Trust, when it established the Sanger Institute which had a key role in the initial sequencing of the human genome and greatly increased its involvement in public engagement with science.
Her own research activities and those of the Wellcome Trust were much involved in global health issues and she was the first Chair of Medicines for Malaria Venture.
Among other activities, Dame Ogilvie was a Board member of Lloyds TSB bank, AstraZeneca plc, the Science Museum, Cancer Research UK, the UK Council of Science and Technology and is the founding vice Chair of Sense about Science, the UK charity which most effectively helps scientists engage with public concerns.
She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1996 and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2003.
In 2007 she was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for her work in the field of biomedical research and in 2008 was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
Dame Bridget recently made the Science Council’s list of the UK’s 100 leading practicing scientists in the communicator category because of her vast experience across academia, campaigning and policy and her lifelong commitment to public engagement in science.