Kavli Oxford Hosts 2nd Award Lecture: Dame Kate Bingham Recognised for Outstanding Contributions

Kavli Oxford Hosts 2nd Award Lecture:

Dame Kate Bingham Recognised for Outstanding Contributions

At an event held on the 5th December 2023, Oxford's Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery hosted its 2nd Award Lecture, a platform dedicated to acknowledging exceptional contributions in the field of science and innovation. Dame Kate Bingham, received the award from the Director of Kavli Oxford, Professor Dame Carol Robinson.

About the event, Kate commented, "I am buzzing after such engaged students and audience today- and what a great institute in the Kavli! Multi-disciplinary, ambitious and diverse. Brilliant!

I am blown away by the magnificent glass Sars cov2 virus. Truly an heirloom and such a lovely piece. Thank you all for this stunning creation and for giving me such a great platform to tell my story about Venture Capital and vaccines.”

Dame Kate Bingham, a former student of the Department of Biochemistry at Oxford, boasts a remarkable career spanning 30 years. As the Managing Partner at SV Health Investors, one of the longest-tenured biotechnology investors globally, she played a pivotal role in the launch of 24 innovative drugs, including 6 new drug classes addressing critical unmet medical needs.

Her impactful contributions extended to the establishment of the Dementia Discovery Fund in 2017, focusing on pioneering drugs targeting novel biological mechanisms for dementia treatment.

In May 2020, amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dame Kate assumed the role of Chair of the UK Vaccine Taskforce. Reporting directly to the Prime Minister, she led UK efforts to discover and manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine. The UK became the first Western country to initiate COVID-19 vaccinations on December 8, 2020.

During her visit to Kavli Oxford, Dame Kate first engaged in an informal Q&A session with students and early career researchers, sharing insights from her career as an entrepreneur and informed by her own scientific studies. Followed by her lecture, titled "Harnessing Scientific Innovation to Benefit Patients," Dame Kate delved into the risks and challenges faced in the biotech industry, emphasising the importance of constructive partnerships.

Dame Kate highlighted the success drivers of the vaccine taskforce, citing ambitious goals, expert teams, and robust risk management. Her impactful talk concluded with a call to action for women scientists to venture into entrepreneurship.

Professor Dame Carol Robinson presented the award, a hand-blown glass creation by the Department of Chemistry's Terri Adams. The celebration continued with a drinks reception under Kavli Oxford's colourful Christmas tree.

The Kavli Oxford Award Lecture stands as a testament to the institute's commitment to recognising and celebrating outstanding contributions to science and innovation.