The Wellcome Trust Annual Review 1 October 2000 – 30 September 2001 Review Annual Trust Wellcome The The Wellcome Trust is an independent research-funding charity, established under the will of Sir Henry Wellcome in 1936. It is funded from a private endowment, which is managed with long-term stability and growth in mind. Its mission is to foster and promote research Annual Review 2001 with the aim of improving human and animal health. Its work covers four areas: Knowledge – improving our understanding of human and animal biology in health and disease, and of the past and present role of medicine in society. Resources – providing exceptional researchers with the infrastructural and career support they need to fulfil their potential. Translation – ensuring maximum health benefits are gained from biomedical research. Public engagement – raising awareness of the medical, ethical and social implications of biomedical science. Contents 1 One of the great strengths of Take, for example, the five new the Wellcome Trust is its diversity. Wellcome Trust Clinical Research In any one day at the Trust, we can Facilities, the first of which opened From the Director discuss issues as diverse as genome in Edinburgh in June 2001.These sequencing, clinical medicine, new centres of patient-oriented 2 Highlights of the year interactive science centres and an research have come about through 18th-century Ottoman manuscript a close working relationship 4 Planning for the future being acquired by the Wellcome between the Trust, the Department 6 Financial summary Library.This breadth of interest of Health, the NHS and universities. gives us the chance to invest not In other areas,Trust research can 8 Knowledge only in stages in the scientific best be taken forward by other Advancing knowledge and process – from ‘blue skies’ research funders.Take, for example, a new understanding in the biomedical through to the development of initiative to control malaria in sciences and their impact on new therapeutics that can be taken Thailand.The Trust’s South-East society – past, present and future. forward to the market – but also Asia unit has developed a new in activities that explore the social combination of drugs that can 18 Resources and cultural implications of control malaria, and this new Contributing to a long-term and scientific research. treatment is now being expanded vibrant research environment. to a large region with a I use the word invest rather than US$4.7 million grant from the Bill 28 Translation funding, because I feel it reflects our and Melinda Gates Foundation. Advancing the translation of Trust- activities more accurately.Through funded research into health benefits. investment in infrastructure, we are A wider perspective putting in place the laboratories In his Nobel address in 1953, 36 Public engagement and equipment our scientists Dr Fritz Lipmann described scientists Engaging with the public through need.Through our personal support thus:“Their purpose often may informed dialogue. schemes, we are investing in be none but just to push back For science should not be confined researchers at all stages of their the limits of our comprehension. to ivory towers; it should be an 46 A year at the Trust careers. And by investing in research Their findings mostly have to be essential part of the culture of the itself, we are laying the foundations expressed in a scientific language country, with everybody able to of knowledge that will underpin that is understood only by a few. take an interest in new scientific UK Funding discoveries of the future. We feel nonetheless that the drive and medical advances. Is such a Career Schemes and Clinical Initiatives and urge to explore nature in all its dream achievable? I would argue International Programmes Continued investment is essential facets is one of the most important that it has to be, and we have to Centres and Initiatives to make use of discoveries and, functions of humanity.” strive to make it so. It is essential Research Partnerships and Ventures in this day and age, such investment that people feel able to voice an Medicine, Society and History on a large scale is essential to drive Fifty years on from Fritz Lipmann’s opinion, debate the implications of Catalyst BioMedica Ltd research forward. In 2000/01, the speech, scientists bring us ever more new advances, and feel proud of Trust awarded grants worth nearly fascinating insights into the workings the achievements of scientists who 60 Board of Governors £400 million, backed a new five- of nature. But more effort must push back the limits of our year research programme at the be made to make such discoveries comprehension. 61 Advisory committees Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute accessible and understandable. with £300 million, and launched a While major breakthroughs such Dr Mike Dexter new £65 million programme in the as the human genome sequence Director of the Wellcome Trust Health Consequences of Population received widespread media coverage May 2002 Change, to name just a few examples and explanation, many other that you will find described in this aspects of science remain couched year’s Annual Review. in a jargonistic language peculiar to the scientific process. By opening That such investment will bring up science to a wider audience – improvements in healthcare I have and publications such as our own no doubt. But to bring about such Wellcome News and the interactive improvements the Trust must work exhibitions at science centres in close partnership with other across the country are just two of funding agencies and institutions. Cover image ‘99 Genetic the ways in which the Trust works Maps of Love’ by Liu Shih-Fen, to do so – science can become an artwork created for the exhibition ‘Working Drafts’, part of society’s consciousness. held in the TwoTen Gallery. Contents 1 One of the great strengths of Take, for example, the five new the Wellcome Trust is its diversity. Wellcome Trust Clinical Research In any one day at the Trust, we can Facilities, the first of which opened From the Director discuss issues as diverse as genome in Edinburgh in June 2001.These sequencing, clinical medicine, new centres of patient-oriented 2 Highlights of the year interactive science centres and an research have come about through 18th-century Ottoman manuscript a close working relationship 4 Planning for the future being acquired by the Wellcome between the Trust, the Department 6 Financial summary Library.This breadth of interest of Health, the NHS and universities. gives us the chance to invest not In other areas,Trust research can 8 Knowledge only in stages in the scientific best be taken forward by other Advancing knowledge and process – from ‘blue skies’ research funders.Take, for example, a new understanding in the biomedical through to the development of initiative to control malaria in sciences and their impact on new therapeutics that can be taken Thailand.The Trust’s South-East society – past, present and future. forward to the market – but also Asia unit has developed a new in activities that explore the social combination of drugs that can 18 Resources and cultural implications of control malaria, and this new Contributing to a long-term and scientific research. treatment is now being expanded vibrant research environment. to a large region with a I use the word invest rather than US$4.7 million grant from the Bill 28 Translation funding, because I feel it reflects our and Melinda Gates Foundation. Advancing the translation of Trust- activities more accurately.Through funded research into health benefits. investment in infrastructure, we are A wider perspective putting in place the laboratories In his Nobel address in 1953, 36 Public engagement and equipment our scientists Dr Fritz Lipmann described scientists Engaging with the public through need.Through our personal support thus:“Their purpose often may informed dialogue. schemes, we are investing in be none but just to push back For science should not be confined researchers at all stages of their the limits of our comprehension. to ivory towers; it should be an 46 A year at the Trust careers. And by investing in research Their findings mostly have to be essential part of the culture of the itself, we are laying the foundations expressed in a scientific language country, with everybody able to of knowledge that will underpin that is understood only by a few. take an interest in new scientific UK Funding discoveries of the future. We feel nonetheless that the drive and medical advances. Is such a Career Schemes and Clinical Initiatives and urge to explore nature in all its dream achievable? I would argue International Programmes Continued investment is essential facets is one of the most important that it has to be, and we have to Centres and Initiatives to make use of discoveries and, functions of humanity.” strive to make it so. It is essential Research Partnerships and Ventures in this day and age, such investment that people feel able to voice an Medicine, Society and History on a large scale is essential to drive Fifty years on from Fritz Lipmann’s opinion, debate the implications of Catalyst BioMedica Ltd research forward. In 2000/01, the speech, scientists bring us ever more new advances, and feel proud of Trust awarded grants worth nearly fascinating insights into the workings the achievements of scientists who 60 Board of Governors £400 million, backed a new five- of nature. But more effort must push back the limits of our year research programme at the be made to make such discoveries comprehension. 61 Advisory committees Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute accessible and understandable. with £300 million, and launched a While major breakthroughs such Dr Mike Dexter new £65 million programme in the as the human genome sequence Director of the Wellcome Trust Health Consequences of Population received widespread media coverage May 2002 Change, to name just a few examples and explanation, many other that you will find described in this aspects of science remain couched year’s Annual Review.