Julian Rayner, Director of the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, has made multiple significant and highly impactful contributions to malaria biology research, reshaping our understanding of how Plasmodium parasites invade human erythrocytes, identifying vaccine candidates that are now undergoing clinical testing, and delivering the first large-scale experimental genetic datasets for Plasmodium parasites. He has co-led hands-on training courses in Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Thailand and Colombia, and is actively involved in multiple capacity-building projects.
He has long been a vocal and visible champion of the importance of public engagement with research by regularly engaging with school and community groups, helping to develop web resources for malaria education and collaborating with artists and writers on public engagement projects. He has also led the Wellcome Connecting Science programme, which aims to enable everyone to explore genomics and its impact on research, health and society.