FUTURE LEADERS
Future leaders in science, technology, research and innovation need not only knowledge of the sector they are in – be it higher education, industry, the civil service or elsewhere – but also an understanding of the other parts of the UK’s research and innovation system. The Foundation Future Leaders Programme seeks to support the leaders of tomorrow in building the links and knowledge that they will need.
The programme brings together a cohort of around 30 mid-career professionals over the course of a year, with approximately 10 representatives each from the research community, industry, and the civil service and wider public sector. Over a 12-month period, the group meet and discuss with senior figures from government, parliament, universities, large industry, SMEs, research charities and others. Just as importantly, Future Leaders present their own expertise, develop skills and make future contacts. The programme includes external visits and the development of an annual conference for a wider group of mid-career future leaders in science, technology, research and innovation.
2026 sees the seventh cohort of Foundation Future Leaders take part in the programme. Details of Foundation Future Leaders from earlier years can be found as follows:
- The 2019/20 cohort are here.
- The 2021 cohort are here.
- The 2022 cohort are here.
- The 2023 cohort are here.
- The 2024 cohort are here.
- The 2025 cohort are here.
The Foundation Future Leaders for 2026 are:
| NAME | POSITION |
ORGANISATION |
| Dr Muhammad Adamu | Research Fellow |
University of Nottingham |
| Miss Aaliyah Arnold | Senior Project Engineer |
National Physical Laboratory |
| Mr William Atkinson | Intellectual Property Manager |
National Physical Laboratory |
| Miss Jenny Chapman | Biology and Health Adviser |
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology |
| Dr Danielle Clarke | Laser Research Scientist |
Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council, UKRI |
| Dr James Close | Associate Professor in Medicine and Psychology |
University of Plymouth |
| Mr Darryl Clough | Head of Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment |
Office for Life Sciences |
| Dr Robert Deller | Programme Manager |
Medical Research Council, UKRI |
| Dr Lily Ellis-Gibbings | University Liaison Officer |
National Physical Laboratory |
| Mr John Fitzpatrick | Head of Smart Data Strategy and Sectors |
Department for Business and Trade |
| Dr Iain Foulger | Senior Science and Project Adviser |
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero |
| Dr Laura Gray | Senior Research Fellow |
University of Sheffield |
| Ms Dawn Greenberg | Interim Head of AI and Digital |
Arts and Humanities Research Council, UKRI |
| Dr Mari Herigstad | Senior Lecturer |
Sheffield Hallam University |
| Dr Victoria Honour | Senior Policy Advisor – Net Zero Innovation |
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero |
| Dr Alex Kersting | Faraday Institution Battery Degradation Project Programme Manager |
University of Cambridge |
| Dr Rebecca Leithall | Research and Innovation Strategy Manager |
University of Bristol |
| Miss Georgina Lott | Head of Education Innovation |
The Institute for Research in Schools |
| Dr Okechukwu Okorie | Senior Lecturer in Engineering Design for Sustainability and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow |
The University of Manchester |
| Mrs Isabelle Perez-Grande | Operations Manager/Team Leader MHRA Laboratories | LGC |
| Mr Joaquin Reydellet | Space Ecosystem Manager |
Satellite Applications Catapult |
| Dr Patricia Shamai | Principal Lecturer in International Relations/ Associate Head Students |
University of Portsmouth |
| Dr Francois Sicard | Assistant Professor in Interdisciplinary Sciences and Engineering |
University College London |
| Mrs Melanie Smith | Deputy Head of Science and Engineering Profession |
UK Health Security Agency |
| Dr Alana Smith | Science Adviser |
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office |
| Ms Jane Smith | Inclusion & Wellbeing Partner |
IOP Publishing |
| Dr Cagla Stevenson | Senior Policy Adviser |
The Royal Society |
| Dr Suria Subiah | Technical Adviser |
Department for Business and Trade |
| Dr Katarzyna Targonska-Hadzibabic | Physical Science & Technology Impact Facilitator |
University of Cambridge |
| Dr Irene Tartaruga | Aeromechanics Engineer |
Rolls-Royce |
| Dr John Tredinnick-Rowe | Research Fellow in Advanced Clinical Practice |
University of Plymouth |
| Dr Mann Virdee | Sir Isaac Newton Adjunct Fellow in Science, Innovation and Technology |
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| Ms Cally Walker | Programme lead – International Bilateral Fund |
UK Space Agency |
| Mr Dale Wyllie | Senior Payload Systems Engineer |
UK Space Agency |
| Miss Marisa Zeolla | Advanced Technology Project Lead |
NCC |
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| Future Leaders boarding an automated bus at The Harwell Science Campus, 2024. | Future Leaders at Scottish Parliament, 2024. |
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| Foundation Future Leaders visiting CERN on November 27th, 2023. | Foundation Future Leaders touring Rolls Royce on March 31st, 2022. |
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Foundation Future Leaders during a visit to Parliament, June 2023. |
Visiting the Harwell Science Campus, 2023. |
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At RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), Culham Science Centre, December 2019. |
Meeting of the Foundation Future Leaders at the Royal Society in London, February 2020. |
The 2025 Foundation Future Leaders Programme is partly sponsored by AIRTO (the Association for Innovation, Research and Technology Organisations) and Advanced Research Clusters. The Foundation for Science and Technology gratefully acknowledges their support.
