Our Impact: Changing the future of healthcare with science

How your support is helping to make medical science work for everyone.

Our 2022-2023 impact report captures Academy achievements over the last year and shows how we are working to address the most pressing health issues, as well as providing innovative support for the next generation of biomedical and health researchers.

Thanks to generous donations from our supporters, we have been able to deliver activities across our key priority areas: strengthening research, supporting researchers, working globally, and building our resources.

These included:

• Launching the first of our regional hubs in Wales as part of our new Cross-Sector Programme, which brings together researchers from different fields to promote health innovation.
• Awarding nearly £12 million to support researchers across all career stages, which includes funding 92 emerging research leaders across our grants programmes.
• Influencing UK policy and practice through more than 16 events, 20 policy publications and engagement with more than 600 stakeholders and experts.
• Helping to shape policy on issues as diverse as global health inequalities in South Africa and Brazil, the role of artificial intelligence in the healthcare system, and the environmental sustainability of biomedical research.

Central to this work is our Fellowship of talented and influential individuals. This year, we welcomed 59 new Fellows with more women experts elected than ever before and an increase in Fellows elected from minority ethnic backgrounds. We are working to become a truly representative Academy through our growing regional activities, our collaborations with partners across the devolved nations and our partnership with networks such as the Black Women In Science network and the Proud Science Alliance.

We also connected with more patients and carers than ever before to involve them in informing and defining our work. Our vision is good health for all, supported by the best research and evidence. It is rooted in the fact that scientific research that translates into treatments that positively impact patients and the public gives hope to millions of people and their families around the world. This is increasingly important in a changing world with continued pressures on the NHS and the health impacts of the pandemic, climate change and growing health inequalities.

In 2023, the Academy is marking its 25^th anniversary as the independent, expert voice of biomedical and health research – a role that has gained increasing influence and impact over time thanks to our expert Fellowship, our global network and the commitment of all our friends and supporters.

Philanthropic donations from individuals, including our Fellows, companies, trusts and foundations enable us to remain independent and to champion biomedical research, allowing us the flexibility to respond to the most pressing issues as they develop. We are especially grateful to the members of our Helix Group, who give unrestricted donations to support our work. 

To help us celebrate our 25^th year, we are asking all those not yet involved to consider joining the Helix Group with a gift of £25 a month. Joining the Helix Group will give you further engagement with the Academy whilst providing essential funds to help us pursue our mission.

Simon Denegri OBE, Executive Director of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: 

“Our heartfelt thanks to all our supporters, Fellows and awardees who are vital in helping us create an open and progressive research sector to improve the health of people everywhere. We are investing in initiatives that best support the diversity and depth of research talent in the UK and look forward to bringing together our community, partners and patients to support this common cause over this anniversary year and beyond.”