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.
2025 sees the sixth 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 Foundation Future Leaders for 2025 are:
|
NAME |
POSITION |
ORGANISATION |
|
Ms Linda Bedenik |
Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager |
UK BioIndustry Association |
|
Dr Adam Berlie |
Research Scientist |
Science and Technology Facilities Council, UKRI |
|
Dr Gustavo Berumen |
User Experience Researcher |
Ocado Technology |
|
Dr Charlotte Blake |
Industry Sector Manager |
TWI Ltd |
|
Dr Sam Burr |
Senior Research Fellow |
Cardiff Metropolitan University |
|
Miss Olivia Candlin |
Senior Technical Sales Consultant |
Lucideon |
|
Dr Helen Coulshed |
Senior Lecturer in Chemistry Education |
King’s College London |
|
Dr Sammy Field |
Project Manager |
Innovation and Research Caucus, Oxford Brookes University |
|
Mrs Charlotte F. Glass |
Principal Consultant |
Technopolis |
|
Dr Amina Hamoud |
Senior Lecturer in Systems Engineering |
University of the West of England |
|
Ms Abigail Hilditch |
Policy and Industry Relations Manager |
Elsevier |
|
Dr Mehdi Jangi |
Associate Professor |
University of Birmingham |
|
Mr Rory Johnson |
Global Skills Data Lead |
Arup |
|
Mr Dominic Jones |
Strategic Engagement Manager |
Medical Research Council, UKRI |
|
Dr Claudia Lindner |
Senior Research Fellow, Sir Henry Dale Fellow |
The University of Manchester |
|
Dr Marie Longnecker |
Data Analytics and Science Hub (DASH) Head of Strategy and Engagement |
Defra |
|
Dr Charalampos Loukas |
Research Fellow |
University of Strathclyde |
|
Dr Luise Luckau |
Science Leader Protein Metrology |
National Measurement Laboratory, LGC |
|
Mrs Isabelle Magkoeva |
Project Coordinator |
The Royal Society |
|
Miss Rosie Moore |
Research Commercialisation Team Lead |
Scottish Government |
|
Mr Phill Mulvana |
Interim Head of Fusion Partner Office |
UKAEA |
|
Miss Ruqaiyah Patel |
Joint Head of Energy and Decarbonisation |
Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, UKRI |
|
Dr Jessica Pollitt |
Senior Strategy Manager |
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UKRI |
|
Dr Jennifer Postles |
Lead Specialist - Innovation Talent |
Innovate UK, UKRI |
|
Ms Zoi Roupakia |
Policy and AI Research Lead, UCI |
Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge |
|
Mx Daisy Shearer |
Quantum Computing Outreach and Education Lead |
National Quantum Computing Centre |
|
Dr Emily Staricoff |
Science Systems Lead and Secretary to the Science and Technology Advisory Council |
Chief Scientific Adviser's Office, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero |
|
Mr Will Steele |
Head of R&D Impact, Investment, and Innovation Analysis |
Department of Science, Innovation and Technology |
|
Miss Leyone Sylvester |
Senior Research Scientist |
Clinical Research Organisation |
|
Ms Lauren Taylor |
NSIP Major Projects Lead |
UK Space Agency |
|
Dr Jordan Tchilingirian |
Lecturer in Sociology and Co-director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Policy and Society |
University of Bath |
|
Dr Iain Templeman |
Principal Scientist |
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) |
|
Dr Tobiasz Trawinski |
Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology |
Liverpool Hope University |
|
Dr Ronald Turner |
Bid Development Manager |
Centre for Process Innovation Ltd |
|
Dr Neale Watson |
Aerospace Engineering Lecturer |
University of Liverpool |
|
Mr George Wilson |
Asset Manager |
ARC |
 |
 |
| 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.
